


Star Wars: Thy Kingdom Come

by KyleeJainRidley



Series: The Darth Somina Chronicles [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 73,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9952322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyleeJainRidley/pseuds/KyleeJainRidley
Summary: The story of Darth Somina, once Ahsoka Tano, continues, as a mysterious weapon arises that has Somina's master, Darth Vader, concerned.  Meanwhile, Mace Windu and Maul continue searching for any weaknesses of Emperor Palpatine's that can be exploited.





	1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars: Thy Kingdom Come**

_Book Two of the Darth Somina Chronicles_

Kylee Jain Ridley

Foreword

When I began _Star Wars: Hearts of the Fallen_ , I honestly wasn't expecting to have it grow into the behemoth it became. I just wanted to tell a story about a character I love, and since one didn't exist yet for the time frame I wanted to explore (I honestly didn't even know about _Ahsoka_ coming out at the time), I sort of dug my teeth in and went for it. Well, two months and 32,000 words later (and for reference, Douglas Adams' _The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ was a little over 46,000 words, and my book _Allison's Game_ is over 60,000 and climbing), the story of Darth Somina began, reintroducing old favorites and introducing new members of the Star Wars fan-fiction family. It took on a life of its own, and I am fairly sure some of you enjoyed it as it unfolded.

Now, the intrepid crew of the _Two-Hearts_ returns, and they're in sort of a bad situation. What will happen? Right now, as I write this, I have absolutely no idea. So let's take this journey together, and catch up with Somina and Enuma.

As always, I do not own or assume to own any terminology, characters or indicia relating to Star Wars, and these writings are in no way intended to be redistributed except as they are read from this site.

The last jump concluded, the _Two-Hearts_ dropped out of hyperspace, its primary drive system almost sighing with relief. Darth Somina and her companion, the Twi'lek Enuma, had been on quite the adventure. Somina, once known as Ahsoka Tano, Jedi padawan, had changed immeasurably in just the few days that they'd known one another, having liberated the young Twi'lek from an abusive master, embracing the Dark Side within herself, and then losing her heart to the sweet innocence and love that Enuma brought into her life. She had faced nearly-unbeatable foes, and discovered shocking revelations, revelations such as Mace Windu's survival, and somehow still managed to stand strong. The only threat to her strength was the disarming power of Enuma's smile. The Twi'lek's natural sweetness and love made Somina almost weak in the knees at times, and though she could never admit it, she enjoyed being able to have such a vulnerability. She felt more safe with Enuma than she'd ever felt, even as a Jedi.

That feeling of safety was always only paper-thin, though, because although Somina was more free than she'd ever been in her life, she knew that there was still a leash tied to her neck, and that leash was held by Darth Vader, who would not hesitate to choke the life from her if he suspected disloyalty. This feeling of insecurity was compounded by Somina's involvement with a conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Palpatine himself, a conspiracy apparently headed up by Mace Windu and Palpatine's former apprentice, Maul. Add to that the idea that Vader was training her secretly as a weapon against the Emperor as well, a weapon that would easily be destroyed by the Sith Lord should he find out what Vader was doing, and you had someone that was more nervous than someone who was in the assassination business should be.

"Beloved?" Somina's attention returned to the here and now as the almost-musical voice of Enuma cut through the grim musing and macabre thoughts. Enuma had a way about her that Somina couldn't deny. Every time Somina thought that there was no hope, Enuma always convinced her that there was not only hope, but that good fortune was close at hand. Enuma's optimism wasn't contagious enough to convince Somina that the crazy scheme Windu and Maul had dragged her into was going to actually work, but it was at least enough to give the young Sith apprentice some sort of peace. The Sith way, at least as Vader had explained it to her, was to give sway to one's emotions, but Somina felt that there was something to be said for giving sway to one's positive emotions as well as negative; love, desire, and joy were as valid as hatred and rage to her, regardless of Vader's views. Somina began to wonder if there was enough of a man left in that shell to feel anything at all. Surely there was nothing left of the one she'd loved so passionately as his student, but she could not say. Vader did not show much emotion, primarily since his face was always hidden.

Enuma crept up behind Somina, and slid her arms around the Togruta, resting just below Somina's neck. "Beloved, you promised." The Twi'lek's annoyance was clear, and though Somina didn't immediately remember what she had promised Enuma, she knew Enuma well enough to know that she would only have to wait a moment before Enuma would remind her. "You promised me that we would practice with the bright-swords today!"

Somina laughed, mostly at Enuma's lack of an attention span. "Lightsabers, Enuma. They're called lightsabers."

Enuma's face crinkled in irritation, and though Somina could not see her expression, she felt it all the same. "I call them bright-swords, and I don't care what the bucket-head told you!" Somina worried every time Enuma referred to Darth Vader as 'the bucket-head'. Vader had been known to punish those beneath him for less, and though she was certain that Vader was not aware of Enuma's Force-sensitivity, she knew it was only a matter of time that someone in Vader's employ would betray her. She had to prepare Enuma for the inevitable conflict, one that in which Enuma may very well have to hold her own.

Somina relaxed slightly into Enuma's arms, nuzzling the Twi'lek gently. "Can't we just spend all day in bed?"

Enuma was the one to laugh this time, her hearty chortle echoing inside the command center of the ship. "So that we can once again NOT make love, Somina? I've never spent so much time in bed with someone who did not want to touch me!"

Somina recoiled slightly, hurt by Enuma's response. "I told you, I'm still…Enuma, I'm just…not ready. We've talked about this."

" _ **You've**_ talked about this, Somina, and I have listened. You have not heard my thoughts on this matter, though, and I am under the belief that this involves me as well. Do you not wish to know how I feel?" Enuma sounded quite exasperated, and Somina could not blame her. How long had they been close, even together as a couple, and yet still hadn't been intimate? Why the idea of intimacy with Enuma scare her so much? What was there to be afraid of, when all Enuma wanted was to be physically close to her in addition to emotionally close? Darth Somina didn't fear much, but the idea of physical intimacy terrified her.

"Of course I want to know, but you've never said anything on the matter. Please, Enuma…please tell me." Somina stood, leaving the comfort of Enuma's arms, and turned to face the Twi'lek, who, to Somina's surprise, was in tears.

"I have tried to be beautiful for you. I have tried to be gentle, and patient, and kind to you. It is not that I crave only touch with you, Somina, but I am afraid you do not trust me enough to let down your guard." Enuma's irritation had fully given way to sadness, and the tears flowed from her eyes. Somina felt her heart break as she looked upon the Twi'lek who had given her life to her, but what could she do? Enuma was right; Somina didn't fear the intimacy as much as she feared the vulnerability. "Why can you not break down your walls, beloved?"

Somina's head hung in shame, though the orange tint of her skin wouldn't show any sort of blush. She knew Enuma was right, and she knew that it was within her ability to move past all this insecurity, all this damage she'd suffered over the years. The Jedi had betrayed her. Barriss had betrayed her. Tarkin had wanted to see her executed. Palpatine had ordered the eradication of her entire way of life. All around her, Somina saw betrayal, and she feared that if she should allow Enuma that close, that intimate, that Enuma would one day betray her as well. Somina's heart was still the heart of Ahsoka Tano, fallen though she was, and Ahsoka Tano could not, would not, allow a day to come where she would lose the gift Enuma had brought into her life.

Somina was only capable of a thin murmur, and even that took effort. "I want to…I'm afraid."

Enuma, seeing what the current line of discussion was doing to her beloved, placed both of her hands on Somina's shoulders, getting close to her, but not too close, trying not to smother Somina. "Let me help you face that fear. Please, beloved…tell me why you are afraid."

Somina, her eyes starting to tear up slightly, raised her head, locking stares with Enuma. Her mouth opened to speak, and she had every intention of speaking, but a loud beeping sound shattered the moment. Somina, secretly relieved that something had happened to put a premature end to the conversation, quickly looked over the command displays. It was as she feared; she'd come too close to a large ship, and they'd detected the _Two-Hearts_. Somina checked the tactical scanners, and determined that it was a Mon Calamari vessel, but not military. Somina thought this quite odd, as they were currently quite a distance from any planet the Mon Calamari might have been interested in. In fact, Somina had planned to visit Mon Cala with Enuma soon, thinking that a beach holiday might be in order, but today, there really shouldn't be a ship out here, much less a Mon Calamari ship.

Somina slid back into the command chair, and activated the communications array. A signal was coming through, but it was weak, and it's amplitude was fluctuating. A voice could barely be made out through the static, and it sounded panicked. "…if you can hear…Mon Calamari vessel…attacked by sp…rates…need assistance desper…"

Somina flicked on the transmitter, and spoke clearly and calmly. She secretly enjoyed high-pressure situations, as they prevented her from having time to think about her life. "This is the cargo vessel _Two-Hearts_. What are your coordinates? We are within range, and can assist you."

"Thank the…er _Two-Hearts_! Our coordinates are…" The voice, greatly relieved at the sound of someone close by that could help, listed off the coordinates, and Somina punched them into the navigational computer, noting that they were relatively nearby. The _Two-Hearts_ spun around to its new heading, and popped into hyperspace.

Once they dropped out of hyperspace a few seconds later, Somina saw why it was that the signal from the Mon Calamari vessel had been so weak; they'd been attacked, and left for dead in space. From what she could assess visually, which wasn't terribly much, the emergency force fields were holding, keeping what precious atmosphere they had in the ship. Otherwise, it looked like it had been torn apart with a meat hook, with a massive tear down the dorsal surface of the ship. Somina was greatly surprised by this; what could possibly tear a ship apart?

Somina piloted the _Two-Hearts_ up to the closest docking port she could see, and locked on to the larger ship. She and Enuma both climbed down from the _Two-Hearts_ and into the Mon Calamari ship, unsure as to what they would find on the other side of the airlock. When the massive airlock door swung open, what they saw startled them more than they could prepare for.

Dozens of injured littered the corridors of the ship. Most were minor injuries, shrapnel and burns, but some looked incredibly severe. The ones that were less injured tended to the more damaged ones, and the very few that hadn't been injured in the attack were frantically trying to get the ship's systems back on line. Somina and Enuma walked through the injured and dead, looking around but trying to keep their composure. Soon, a Mon Calamari came up to them, clearly stressed. "Thank you for helping us. We were trying to get to some sort of safe haven after fleeing the Imperial strikes on Dac, and we got ambushed by pirates. They had some sort of weapon I've never seen before, some sort of energy hook, that they used to rip open our hull. If we hadn't been quick on the emergency force fields, we'd likely not be here. Any assistance you can give us would be most appreciated." The Mon Calamari took a moment to catch his breath, and continued. "I forget myself. Gial Ackbar, captain of the _Homeward Star_."

Somina began almost instinctively. "Dar…" Stopping herself midsentence, she thought for a moment what the reaction from this particular group of individuals might be upon hearing the title 'Darth'. Thinking better of it, Somina continued. "Somina. Dar Somina."

Ackbar, his enormous eyes seeming skeptical, continued to be cordial, if not grateful. "That's an unusual name. May I ask where you are from?"

Somina grinned, and pushed back the bottom of her tunic, revealing the lightsaber slung there. "Coruscant, originally."

Ackbar seemed to understand what she was getting at, and the need for an assumed name, for his eyes widened slightly (at least, as far as Somina could tell), and he seemed to grin as well. "Understood, Miss Somina."

"So what happened, Captain Ackbar? What could have possibly done this to your ship?" Somina's tone was all business, all of a sudden, and Ackbar seemed almost relieved at that.

"We just don't know. There were several small ships, nothing remarkable. Our deflector shields were more than enough to defend against the small-scale energy weapons the smaller ships had." Ackbar seemed almost panicked as he began the next sentence. "But then…a larger ship, a Corellian Corvette, came out of hyperspace almost on top of us. They deployed some sort of strange weapon, almost like a gigantic hook of some sort, but energized with some strange sort of power I couldn't recognize. It sliced through our hull like it was melted wax! We managed to get the emergency fields in place, but not before we lost a few to the pressure loss. Miss Somina, I have to tell you, if I didn't know better…it almost seemed like the hook was similar in many aspects to your weapon. The odd glow, the ease with which it cut through durasteel…it was like a giant lightsaber."

"You said that you were attacked by pirates, Captain Ackbar." It was Somina's turn to be skeptical, and a quick glance to Enuma confirmed that they both suspected more than a simple pirate attack.

"I assumed that's what it was, though it is strange that they didn't actually take anything. We aren't even hauling cargo, beyond food and survival supplies. It seems more like…"

"A trap?" asked Somina.

Ackbar glared at Somina for just a moment, things starting to sink in. "A trap. We were supposed to be disabled. But why? We are just peaceful refugees."

Somina, lost in thought for a moment, then looked around the corridor they stood in. "If this weapon is like you describe, functioning similar to a lightsaber, it would involve technology that, honestly, only the Empire currently possesses. I've heard of the Empire lending out weapons to bounty hunters in their employ, especially ones hunting Jedi, but I've never heard of them installing a capital ship weapon on a ship that wasn't theirs."

Ackbar audibly gasped, suddenly terrified. "Then it was the Empire itself attacking us. That makes more sense, but it still doesn't explain why they would just leave us adrift, instead of capturing us, or more likely blowing our ship into atoms."

Somina, her face grim, closed her eyes, reaching out into the cosmos with the Force. "The trap…wasn't for you, Captain Ackbar." She opened her eyes, and the others saw the worry in them. "Do you have enough escape pods to evacuate the survivors?"

Ackbar, beginning to worry even more than he had, nodded. "Just barely. I'll start getting everyone sorted out." The Mon Calamari shuffled off, barking orders to what few officers remained on their feet.

Somina, however, had other concerns. "Enuma, we need to get out of here!"

Enuma, already running back to the ship, playfully shouted to Somina. "I've got a bad feeling about this!"

Somina and Enuma sprinted back to the airlock, and slammed shut the hatch once inside the _Two-Hearts_. Somina leapt over the back of the command chair, and landed hard in the seat, strapping herself in as quickly as she could. Enuma clambered into the makeshift tactical station, and immediately began running local sensor scans. "I am detecting nothing in the immediate vic…oh, no." Enuma gulped.

"Don't tell me 'oh no', Enuma, what is it?" Somina was frantic, trying to disengage the docking clamp and fire up the engines simultaneously. Even with Force-enhanced speed, the machinery could only go so fast.

"Fighters, incoming! Coming in 112 mark fourteen!" Enuma shouted over the din of the igniting engines.

Somina looked up from her console and into space, seeing dozens of what appeared to be Imperial TIE fighters approaching them. Forcing the urge to panic down, Somina began powering up the ship's defensive systems. Using her anger, anxiety, and fear to give herself focus, she punched the final codes into the ship's computer systems, and took the controls in hand.

"Hang on to your cute little ass, Enuma!"

The _Two-Hearts_ blasted away from the Mon Calamari ship smoothly, and Somina maneuvered the ship into an attack vector, ready to take on the incoming fighters. Enuma, manning the targeting systems, prepared herself for firing. Somina quickly signaled to the _Homeward Star_. "Captain Ackbar, on my signal, start launching your escape pods. I'll take care of the fighters."

"Understood, Somina. May the Force be with us." Ackbar closed the line, and Somina went into action.

She started by maneuvering the ship into a tight barrel roll. "Fire all guns in a spread around the fighter group. Don't target anything in particular, but make sure we have a lock on at least three of them at all times," Somina barked as the ship spun rapidly along its axis. Enuma fired a few shots randomly, grazing a couple of the fighters, but not inflicting very much damage.

"Beloved, I have not destroyed any fighters! What should I do now?" Enuma's level of panic was increasing rapidly, and Somina could sense her heart rate increase just as rapidly. She still blindly squeezed the actuator triggers that fired the main cannons, without rhyme or reason.

"Keep shooting!" Somina waited until she'd entered the swarm of fighters, and then pulled up hard, shooting up through the top of the swarm. This time, the seemingly random shots started hitting fighters from behind, where their deflector shields were weaker. Several fighters spun off seemingly into oblivion, while others managed to bring their craft back under control.

"I am a badass!" screamed Enuma with an almost crazed glee, several TIE fighters meeting their end at her barrage.

"Keep it up!" shouted Somina over the din of debris smacking against the _Two-Hearts'_ deflector shields. Her maneuvers were less random now, and much more practiced, as they managed to destroy almost all the fighters that attacked. After several tense moments, the few fighters that remained fled, returning to the larger ship that loomed just at the very edge of the fighters' range. Somina knew from this that whoever was behind these attacked didn't want to be identified, and did not expect someone with any particular piloting or dogfighting skill to have taken the bait. This was a strange _modus operandi_ , and Somina wasn't sure what to make of it.

Somina leveled the ship off, and headed back to the _Homeward Star_ , for she needed to make certain that the escape pods had managed to make it away from the ship safely. She attempted several times to contact Captain Ackbar, but without success. She nearly had given up hope when a crackle of static came across the comm channel, followed by the weary voice of Gial Ackbar.

" _Two-Hearts_ , we're alright. All pods are away and safe. We're heading to Nalebron, and we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mind escorting us there."

Somina smiled, and clicked on the transmitter. "Absolutely, Captain Ackbar. We'll rendezvous with you shortly. _Two-Hearts_ out."

Somina swung the command chair around, only to see that Enuma was standing, her back and head turned awkwardly to look at her backside. "Do you really think my ass is cute?" Enuma asked, almost innocently.

Somina couldn't repress a giggle at the scene, but stood and walked over to Enuma before she could take her laughter the wrong way. Somina put her arms over Enuma's shoulders, crossing them just behind Enuma's head, pulling Enuma closer to her. "I love you."

Enuma's eyes lit up, and started to have small pools of tears well up within them, as she always did. "I really needed to hear you say that to me, beloved." They kissed, a kiss of love and affection, one that allowed no boundaries between them. Somina had never experienced the like before; intimate acts with another Force-sensitive opened you up to each other in ways that, as a Jedi, she would have found uncomfortable. In some ways, she still did, but for Somina, this kiss with this lover was everything she had been denied as a Jedi, and had embraced as a Sith. Even if they never allowed things to become more physical, Somina knew they would always have a special bond. Bonds like this were hard to come by, especially in the days of the Empire, when she and Enuma were constantly on the move.

Jabba the Hutt had placed a sizeable bounty on Somina's head, regardless of Somina's threats, and though the bounty hunters that came looking for her usually were no serious threat for her, there were some that came closer to Enuma than she'd have liked. They were usually dispatched with severe prejudice, although Somina did allow one to limp back to Jabba to deliver a simple message: next time, _**she**_ would come for _**him**_. Even so, the Hutt was persistent, throwing minion after minion at the erstwhile Sith, even as she eliminated them one by one. Some day, Somina knew, a reckoning would have to come, and the business between she and the Hutt would be settled, one way or another.

That, however, took second place to her primary duties, which entailed whatever Darth Vader told her to do. She was his apprentice, after all, and he did not tolerate insubordination. He had an uncanny way of knowing when she was straying from his instructions, as she'd found out when she'd gone to Malkryss with Enuma to swim in the famed darkwater pools. This particular instance was more humiliating than most, as she'd very nearly given in to Enuma's charms, but just ended up standing there nearly nude, dripping wet, and being dressed down by a hologram of the Sith Lord. It was this shock and shame that led to Somina's current fear of physical intimacy, and though it was by no means fair to poor Enuma, Somina couldn't get past it.

An electronic noise shattered the moment, as the all-too-familiar tone of the communications system announced an incoming transmission. Enuma, flustered by another interrupted kiss, checked the display, and then turned a much paler shade of blue than normal. Enuma turned slowly to look at Somina, her face grim. "Beloved, Lord Vader wishes to speak to you."

Somina turned on her heels, and headed to the small room in the back of the ship that she'd retrofitted to serve as a holographic imaging chamber. Vader preferred that those he speak to see him, likely to ensure that they showed proper respect. Vader seemed less like Anakin every time Somina spoke with him, and she wondered, as she always did, what had happened to change him so much.

Somina shut the door tightly behind her, and faced the imager, falling to one knee. The form of Darth Vader coalesced from light and static, and though the signal was experiencing some interference, the image was clear enough to see Vader's arms crossed in a display of impatience.

"My master, you asked for me?" Her tone was deeply respectful, for even when she questioned him, she dared not insult him.

"I have sensed something in the Force, something I have never experienced before. A power that is familiar, and yet new. It appears to have originated near your current position. Have you found anything unusual?" Vader sounded almost uncertain, as if he had discovered something he truly didn't understand. Somina's connection to the Force would never be as deeply-ingrained as Vader's, but she too had felt something odd, when she had first encountered the _Homeward Star_.

"Yes, my master. Earlier today, I encountered a disabled Mon Calamari ship, one that had been attacked by whom they believed to be pirates. They described a capital ship, a Corvette, that had some sort of weapon that they described as being 'a lightsaber hook'. I intended to investigate this, but the ship was attacked by what appeared to be Imperial TIE fighters, or more correctly, what were intended to appear to be Imperial. They didn't pilot with the usual Imperial precision. Their maneuvers were impulsive, imprecise, amateurish. They were easily defeated with basic tactics. Those that managed to escape retreated back to the Corvette, which immediately jumped out."

Vader remained still and silent for a moment. "Those are definitely pirate tactics, but the use of fighters intended to look Imperial troubles me, as does this 'lightsaber hook'. Kyber crystals are proscribed materials, and all known sources of them are firmly under Imperial control. Which means, either there is a new source we were unaware of, or someone in the Imperial hierarchy is a traitor. Either way, I am tasking you with discovering the source of this weapon, and to either assume control of it, or destroy it. Fighters are easily purchased by anyone with sufficient credits, but kyber crystals are forbidden by order of the Emperor himself. Find who is providing these crystals, and eliminate them."

Somina, her head still bent, responded. "As you command, my master."

The image of Vader flickered, and then vanished. Somina stood, as silently as she had knelt, and left the room, shutting the door behind her. She returned to the command center, where Enuma stood, looking worried. Her look of worry only worsened when she saw the grim look on Somina's face.

"Are you alright, beloved? What did Lord Vader want?"

Somina, her face dark, cast her eyes down slightly. "We are to find out who is behind the fighter attacks and the attack on the Homeward Star. Lord Vader believes there is something at work that he finds…troubling."

Enuma, dumbfounded, just looked confused. "What could possibly trouble _**him**_?"

Somina turned away, her eyes closed. "More than you can imagine, Enuma." Somina looked off into the distance for a moment, then turned back to Enuma. "We begin with speaking to Captain Ackbar again, so we're landing on Nalebron for the moment. Station."

Somina slowly sat in the command chair, and Enuma returned to her station, suddenly worried that things were about to go very, very wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

As every attempt at meditation seemed to fail, Mace Windu was used to not feeling quite like he used to feel. Of course, everything about his life at this point had changed so completely, and so rapidly, that in truth he didn't even _**remember**_ how he used to feel during the days of the Jedi Order. Though his outlook on the balance of the Force certainly wasn't in line with the old hardline Jedi stance, that there was a Dark Side and a Light Side and you had to choose one, his hybrid view came with as much a price as he'd expected. There was no serenity, there was no peace. Though he still did not feel that he'd 'fallen', he was sure that the younger version of himself would disagree.

Things had been simpler in the days of the Jedi. He knew what he was supposed to do, and every act of every day was a matter of ritual and contemplation. Even the days of battles in the field had come to an end before the eruption of the Clone Wars. He could recall seemingly endless days of debate and discussion in the Jedi Council chambers, arguing the advantages of Soresu versus Ataru, debating diplomatic policy, discussing promising padawans.

It had all been impossibly boring, but it had been his life. Now, years after the clone troopers turned on the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker had fallen, and the Sith Lord Darth Sidious had taken control of the galaxy, Mace Windu occasionally found himself longing for those boring days, the salad days of the decline of the Jedi Order. He had long believed that the Jedi had gone astray once they became a tool of the Republic, and concerned themselves less with the will of the Force. He'd also been an active part of that straying, something he still cursed himself over to the present.

He'd also cursed losing track of what few Jedi might yet remain. He'd heard rumors that maybe only two or three had managed to escape, but those were only rumors. The reality of Darth Vader's death squad was far more provable than whispers that, somehow, one or two masters had gone into hiding. Then again, so had he; perhaps somewhere, Master Yoda wondered about Mace Windu's fate.

Windu held out hope that if anyone had been able to escape alive, it would be Yoda. Though he found Yoda pompous, arrogant, and irritatingly cryptic on the best of days, there was no one Windu would want more at his back in a fight. He certainly could have used Yoda's skills towards this new goal, but alas, the inscrutable Grand Master remained only a whisper of a rumor. Instead, Windu had turned to someone who'd once been his enemy, the Sith assassin, Maul. Maul was cruel, needlessly so, and ruthless beyond even Windu's standard, but he had one thing that made him useful; an obsession with ending the life of Emperor Palpatine. Maul was so fixated on this that very little else mattered to him. It made him an excellent tool, if an overly vicious one. Windu still needed to play the manipulator, but the goal mattered more than his pride. Palpatine _**had**_ to die. He could no longer be satisfied with merely defeating, or even overthrowing, the Emperor. No, the blood of his brethren cried out for vengeance, and Mace Windu would not leave them wanting.

The movements of Vaapad came somewhat easier for him now than they had in his Temple days. His embrace of the Force _in toto_ gave him a new perspective of his variant style of lightsaber combat. He wasn't afraid to strike when the opportunity arose to do so, and though he had little desire to harm anyone that was not attacking him, he had no such restriction when action, even violent action, was called for. He even found himself enjoying a good scrap once in a while. There was a certain liberation that was felt when one shed Jedi restrictions, and Windu felt himself a stronger fighter because of it. Some had said he was second only to Yoda before; these days, who could say? Perhaps he had surpassed the old Grand Master, perhaps not. Windu likely would never know, and for all he knew, Yoda was already dead.

It was the training and practice that Maul put in that irked Windu. Maul practiced a bastardized version of Juyo, one more in tune with Sith philosophies. Juyo had also been the starting point for Windu's own Vaapad, so when he saw the corrupted mirror of his own art, of course it offended him. Maul and Windu had sparred numerous times, and there had never been a clear victor in any contest. Sometimes Maul would overcome him, sometimes the reverse was true. Neither of them ever clearly held an advantage over the other, and it was pure opportunism that usually determined the victor. It was still useful to Windu, even with the irritation of seeing his art corrupted, because he knew that Maul would keep him sharp. Windu didn't trust the erstwhile Sith, not at all, but he knew that having Maul with him was far superior than having Maul against him.

Meditation was not coming today, and Windu stood, walking out of the chamber put aside for his own private contemplation. Maul had not requested any such accommodation, as he claimed that all he really required was to train, and to remember his vendetta against the Emperor. Even now, years later, Maul's lust for vengeance seemed to boost his abilities far beyond even his own high standard. Windu understood some of this philosophy, as he himself had been touched by the Dark Side as well, and he could appreciate what it could do when strictly controlled. Maul had no such control, and he gave himself over to the Dark Side completely. It made him a terrifying force in combat, but it also made him an unpredictable ally. Windu supposed one day he might have to eliminate Maul as well, but for now, it was best to keep him close at hand. They both had one goal, and that commonality was enough for the moment.

However, Maul was all too aware of Windu's lack of patience with him, and took great delight in his little torments. He never pushed Windu too far, for Maul also understood the utility of their alliance, but to have the chance to push a one-time Jedi Master to the breaking point was an opportunity that any real Sith would savor. Though he had long since been cast aside by his former master, the man who was now emperor, Maul still considered himself very much a Sith, for even though he'd sworn himself to harvesting Palpatine's blood, the philosophy and lifestyle of the Sith warrior still got him through life alive and relatively intact.

Relatively, due to the fact that the lower half of his body was mechanical, a permanent reminder of the day Maul had fought Qui-gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-wan Kenobi. Maul had encountered Kenobi a few times since that day on Naboo, but still the Jedi eluded his righteous wrath. Maul knew one day he would have his reckoning with Kenobi; it was only a matter of time. Still, the Emperor was the primary threat, and he would be dealt with first.

Windu came out of his makeshift meditation chamber, and the sound of the door closing caught Maul's attention as he was training in the open courtyard of the small building they'd taken over as a sort of headquarters. He dropped the long staff he'd been working with on the ground, with the resultant clang echoing through the courtyard. Mace Windu had come to find loud noises most irritating in his older years, and Maul wasn't afraid to twist the knife, just a little. Maul flashed a most insincere smile at the former Jedi, whereas Windu's expression was a masque of cold fury.

"You can't just tend to your own business, can you, Sith?" Windu's rage boiled quietly under the surface, but it boiled nonetheless.

" _My_ business is ensuring you can execute _your_ business, _Master_ Windu," quipped Maul, his emphasis on the word 'master' in no way masking his disdain for the former Jedi and his practices. " _My_ business is ensuring both of us are up to the task of murdering a Dark Lord of the Sith, _Master_ Windu. As such, _I_ will assess such things as _I_ see fit." Maul knelt down to pick up the practice staff, his gaze remaining locked with Windu's as he moved. "Are we of an understanding today, or shall I leave you to your tantrum?"

Mace Windu fought harder against his own rampaging nature in that moment than he had against Chancellor Palpatine, all those years ago, when he lost the galaxy to the Sith. His face remaining expressionless, he spoke flatly. "No, we are of an understanding today, Maul." Windu resumed his stride, stopping briefly before he entered the building. "Today." The door opened, and then slammed shut as Windu disappeared from sight.

 _So much the better_ , thought Maul, as he sat upon a rough-hewn log bench nearby. Though Maul, with his tunic removed, exposing the wiry, tight muscles of his tattooed torso, was a splendid physical specimen, his body ached with raging fury. He wasn't getting younger, regardless of his exercise regimen and training, and the mark of the Dark Side was always degeneration of some sort. He had known this from early in life, from tales ingrained into him by his former master, parables of Sith so powerful in the Dark Side that they literally fell to pieces after a time. Maul knew that the blight of the Dark Side's touch was deeply entrenched in him, and that ultimately, he only had a few good years left before his body started to outwardly manifest the corruption. Already, he ached like an old man, though he was not terribly advanced in years.

He had been raised, quite literally, to be Darth Sidious' weapon, as an assassin tasked with the elimination of the Dark Lord's enemies. He had served quite well in that role, never having been exposed, and never having been caught. Politicians, bankers, socialites, and Jedi alike fell to his blade, and still more would have come, if not for the fateful encounter with Kenobi. Even now, Maul could feel his fists ball up at just the mere thought of the name. One day, he would carry out his vengeance, and it would not be interrupted as it had been before. Maul would not settle for merely punishing Kenobi, either, as he had on Mandalore. Satine's execution had amused Maul more than anything, but he knew that Kenobi would eventually recover from the loss. After all, metaphorically having one's heart torn out was infinitely easier to recover from than from the literal version of it.

The next time, Maul would feast upon Kenobi's heart. Only then would he feel his vengeance complete and his grudge satisfied. Until then, he had to keep preparing, had to keep training, as if his life depended on it. Even his need for revenge against the Emperor was secondary to his desire for Kenobi's blood. However, at this point, he had to put Kenobi temporarily from his mind, and focus on the task at hand.

Maul wasn't completely sure why he'd agreed to Windu's offer. Even if Palpatine was the absolute ruler of the galaxy, what of it? He'd lived under Palpatine's radar quite a long time, and it could have continued indefinitely, had he disciplined himself enough to remain in the shadows. Mandalore had been costly, not only costing him the life of his brother, Savage Opress, but most importantly, it opened him up to vulnerability. Pre Vizsla had exposed him, once Vizsla had decided he had no desire to share power with Maul, and once that had happened, Sidious appeared shortly thereafter, striking down Opress, and nearly breaking Maul himself. He wasn't sure why Sidious had stopped, only that he thought it terribly funny that he still had work for Maul to do. After that, Sidious simply left. There had been no show of Dark Side power, and no death blow. Sidious just departed, without further word, leaving Maul reeling and confused.

The Emperor would answer for what he'd done to Maul. He would answer for these things, in due time. Never again would he move before it was the right time to move. Maul was still a creature of passion, but he was much wiser in his advancing years than he had been as Sidious' lackey.

 _Peace is a lie. There is only passion._ The familiar words echoed in Maul's mind. Though they had been told to him by the greatest liar of all, the words themselves, and what they stood for, still rung true. _Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken._

Maul snapped the staff in two without the slightest strain, and barely showing any movement. The two broken halves, cleft cleanly down the middle, clattered to the rocky floor of the courtyard.

_The Force shall set me free._


	3. Chapter 3

Enuma sat quietly on her bunk, tucked away in the back of the _Two-Hearts_. Somina had gone for the moment, out to meet up with Captain Ackbar, formerly of the _Homeward Star_ , trying to find any information possible about the ships that attacked the Mon Calamari ship. Somina had felt it best for Enuma to stay behind, in their ship, as she couldn't guarantee that Nalebron was a safe place to leave their ship unattended. Enuma knew better, of course, and knew that Somina didn't want her exposed to danger. The young Twi'lek sighed, because she knew that regardless of how much Somina trusted her, Somina's protective instincts would likely mean that Enuma would never have the opportunity to balance the books with her lover. Enuma was a firm believer that for a relationship to succeed there had to be a balance. Somina continually saved Enuma from danger, real and otherwise, but Enuma rarely, if ever, had the opportunity to reciprocate.

Of course, Enuma ultimately just wanted Somina to let her own defenses fall away, however briefly. Enuma wasn't so enamored with sex, to be sure. Though she had enjoyed the few consensual experiences she'd had, it wasn't a very important part of her life. Add to that having been abused for years by cruel masters, forced to please her masters time and again, it was a wonder that she even had any interest in sex at all. Through the entirety of her time as a slave, though, Enuma held one thing so tightly in her heart that no amount of abuse could ever pry it from her, and that was the hope that one day, she would find herself with someone she could give herself to willingly. Enuma believed in her heart of hearts that she had found that person in Somina, but she had her reservations on how Somina felt about that.

Not to say, of course, that Enuma doubted Somina's love for her, because she knew how the Togruta felt just by looking in her bright eyes. To Enuma, though, Somina had the strangest eyes; they would often change color from blue to orange and back, and Enuma wasn't sure why this was. When she asked Somina once about it, all Somina said to her was that sometimes, there was a price to pay for safety. Enuma wasn't sure what that meant, but she trusted Somina without reservation.

Enuma was becoming more and more restless as time went on. She was already pacing up and down the length of the ship, but she found herself becoming more fidgety as the day went by. She stopped briefly in front of a mirror that Somina had installed in their quarters. Enuma very rarely looked at herself in that mirror, preferring her eyes to fall on the lithe form of the one to whom she'd given her life. She never really thought of herself as particularly beautiful, though many admirers, some of them her past owners, had thought her quite fetching. She stopped for a moment, and looked at herself. Her blue-green skin looked much healthier than it had when Somina had first freed her from Bib Fortuna, looking a more robust and vibrant hue than the sickly one she'd had. Her body was curvy, even by Twi'lek standards, though to her dismay she'd put on some weight since Somina had found her. She attributed that to eating regularly, and well. She tended to think of herself as being quite overweight, but Somina insisted that she was a healthy weight for her height, build, and age. Enuma didn't agree, but as she'd never eaten well in her life, including her childhood, she had little basis for comparison.

Enuma spun around, twisting to get another look at her bottom. It looked quite firm, yet well-proportioned, very much in-line with the rest of her curves. She couldn't help a smile; Somina had been right, and her ass was quite cute, actually. Though she didn't share Somina's love of skin-tight leather clothing, Enuma could pull off just about any look with only a little work. Right now, the loose tunic and trousers she wore, both made of a light-colored linen, draped over her body quite nicely, and she was pleased with the result. She leaned closer to the mirror, puckering her lips and thrusting her breasts out, and whispered in a low, breathy voice. "Take me, my beloved Darth Somina…take me and do with me what you will."

Her vanity sated for the moment, Enuma went back to wandering the ship, her eyes falling on the cabinet where Somina kept the lightsabers secured when not being used. Enuma's lightsaber, one she'd cobbled together from bits and pieces she'd accumulated from her adventures with Somina, was more often locked up than in Enuma's hands. This seeming lack of trust was a source of nearly-endless frustration for the Twi'lek, because she felt she was ready to train harder in the arts of the Sith. She wanted to become stronger, more able to stand alongside her beloved, instead of behind her. Somina was a more patient teacher than Enuma would have guessed, but Somina's concerns were not just for Enuma's safety in training. She was also concerned over what might occur if Darth Vader, or worse, the Emperor himself, got word of what she was doing. Somina had heard many stories about what Vader, and his master, did to those who disobeyed them. Enuma understood that Somina was protecting her, but she was at the point where she felt she owed it to Somina to do her part to protect them both.

Enuma wasn't terribly skilled with the manipulation of the Force, but she'd managed to pull off a couple of awkward pushes, both that nearly knocked her over as well as the target. Somina had lauded her, telling her that even some Jedi younglings, ones that were trained from birth, couldn't do so well in so little time. Enuma wasn't sure if these were just platitudes, or if Somina was genuinely impressed. She trusted that Somina wouldn't lie to her, but deep down she knew that she'd never have the sort of skill Somina had forged over a lifetime of training. Somina had been Jedi and Sith both, and knew both sides of the Force. Enuma ultimately felt like all she knew was the backside of the Force.

All this mattered little, though, once Enuma became bored. She'd seen Somina move things simply by concentrating, and she wanted to try to open the locked cabinet in the same way. She stood a couple meters away from the cabinet, and extended her hand out in front of her, as she'd seen Somina do, as if she was trying to grasp some invisible object. She focused all her attention on the lock, and willed it to open.

After about two minutes of standing and looking ridiculous, Enuma was ready to stop concentrating for a moment. She couldn't understand why a power that completely surrounded her, a power she supposedly was sensitive to, would just completely ignore her. The lesson Somina had taught her, about the omnipresence of the Force, had allegedly been taught to her by her former master Plo Koon, another dead Jedi Enuma knew little about. Master Plo Koon had told Somina that 'the Force surrounded all living things, and bound them together with strands of interconnectivity that could not be severed, at least by any natural cause'. Enuma took that to mean that there was a connection between her and everything else. Everything else, that is, except the lock that continued to frustrate her. Clearly there was no connection there.

"A connection. Wait. That's it. A connection." Enuma slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. "I am so stupid!"

Enuma stood in the same place, only this time, she closed her eyes. She saw, in her mind's eye, the lock on the cabinet, and she visualized herself looking inside it, as if it were partially transparent. She could see all the moving parts, and all the ways the Force interacted with them. She envisioned each pin sliding into its correct spot, a spot made clear to her through the Force, and once all nine of the lock's pins had slid into their proper place, a very real and very audible click broke Enuma's concentration.

The door to the cabinet hung open, and she had done it.

Enuma let out an involuntary squeal of excitement as she went over to the opened cabinet. There, hung from a bracket in the cabinet, was her lightsaber. It was in no way as elegant as Somina's, but it was hers. She'd built it from pieces, much like she'd done with her own life. In a lot of ways, that lightsaber was a symbol of Enuma herself; rough, but strong, and rebuilt from the wreckage of a previous life.

Somina had promised her that they would soon go to a place where Enuma could find a kyber crystal for the lightsaber. Somina had told her that it was considered a rite of passage amongst the Jedi to find one's crystal, and that she felt it was a good thing for Enuma to do. Somina even knew the perfect place to go; the planet Ilum, far into the unknown expanses beyond the Outer Rim. Somina suspected, though, that Ilum was likely under Imperial control, so they would have to be cautious. Enuma hoped that they would go soon. Somina had been kind enough to lend Enuma a lightsaber when they would train, but Enuma truly felt she'd feel much more complete with her own.

The patchwork lightsaber might have seemed chaotic and messy to the undiscerning eye, but to Enuma, it told the story of her life with Somina. The small horn on the hilt, one taken from the snout of a Mandalorian dedra-vole, nearly had impaled Enuma's head when they'd been on Mandalore attempting to find a former friend of Somina's, a Jedi named Obi-wan Kenobi. They'd missed him by quite some time, it seemed. The outer casing of the lightsaber had been constructed from the silvery metal they'd salvaged from the armored shell of the destroyer droid they'd unknowingly activated while they explored through an old Sith temple on Narthooine. There were small gemstones they'd taken from a cache of crystals and stones they'd discovered in that temple. They'd failed to find the 'holocron' that Somina had been looking for, but they had found sparkly and shiny things that made Enuma giddy with delight. Every piece of the weapon meant something to Enuma, and even if it wasn't the 'proper' way to build a lightsaber, it meant more to her than even one of Somina's could ever mean.

Clutching the inactive blade, she went over to the mirror again, this time striking a powerful pose, her face set grim, and the lightsaber clutched in both hands, as if she were preparing to attack. "I am the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Pretentious!" said Enuma in a deep, dark voice. She broke out in laughter at her ridiculous parody of Vader, thinking it far funnier than Vader likely would.

Enuma wasn't afraid of Vader the way Somina was. If Somina was to be believed, Vader was some sort of demigod, that could reach out with his will over the light years and crush your spirit, and your skull, and you'd never know it was coming. She found it very difficult to believe anyone could have that sort of power, but Somina still held the man in the black armor in reverence. Enuma knew that Vader wasn't to be trifled with, either. However powerful he might actually be, he had resources that she and Somina could scarcely conceive of, and even if he couldn't choke you from across the galaxy, he could make things equally bad with stormtroopers and Star Destroyers. She knew that, for the time being, they had to deal with Vader's intrusions into their life. That they actually _had_ a life together was enough for her.

Enuma placed the lightsaber back into the cabinet, and closed its door. She reached out once again with the Force, and successfully (after a couple attempts) locked the cabinet again. She smiled, but knew that she couldn't tell Somina she'd broken into the weapons locker. She'd have to find a different way to demonstrate the new breakthrough with her abilities, and that was fine for her. It would no doubt make Somina proud, and that greatly cheered Enuma.

Of course, that would all be for naught if Somina never came back. Enuma anxiously paced, waiting for Somina's return. Finally, after a few agonizing minutes, the hatch opened, and Somina climbed back into the ship. Enuma was startled by Somina's abrupt return. "Beloved! I am glad you are safe!" Enuma ran to her beloved, and threw her arms around a frustrated-looking Somina.

"I wasn't able to find Ackbar." Somina seemed very upset. "They must have landed somewhere else, but the sensors had said this was the place where they touched down. Something's not right."

"I ran some local scans, beloved, but I was not able to find any pods nearby," Enuma added. "The scanners seem to be blocked, but that is likely interference from local mineral deposits." Enuma didn't sound completely sure of that, but it was the most logical answer she could come up with in the time she had.

"That's probably the case," Somina agreed. "We'll have to wait for daylight, and then search from the air. We might as well try and get a little sleep. It could take a while to search for the pods."

Enuma nodded, and started getting things around to lock the ship down for the night. Enuma was worried, though; Somina rarely voluntarily went to sleep. More often than not, especially when on a mission, the only sleep Somina ever seemed to get was when she collapsed from exhaustion. Somina could go without meaningful rest for several days, but it took a high toll on her to do so. Enuma would always care for her, though, while she slept. She didn't like seeing her beloved in such a state, but she knew that she could no more change Somina's ways than Somina could change hers.

Somina trudged wearily into their quarters, and sat upon the small bed they shared. She set about unlacing the various cords and ties that kept her elaborate clothing fastened tight. It was, in many ways, a ritual for her; it was how she separated the time she worked from the time that was hers alone. After a few minutes of extricating herself from the labyrinthine garment, the leather fell to the floor, and she stepped out of the pile. Somina had always been overly insecure about her body being seen, most likely an artifice of 'Jedi modesty'. Since her life had taken the turn towards the Dark Side, and since Enuma became such a part of her life, she didn't view her body as a source of shame, nor did she see it as being something purely sexual. It simply _was_. It existed, and sometimes it existed without clothes. She felt no embarrassment about Enuma seeing her nude, though when things were strained between them, she felt it might be inappropriate to parade around unclothed.

It was hard for her to undress around Enuma at that moment, though, because of the troubles they'd been having. At that particular point in time, however, Somina was far too tired to care. She laid down upon the bed, turning onto her left side, and pulling the rough sheet over herself. She found that sleep was not coming right away, though, as her mind could not stop racing on, with concerns for Ackbar, concerns for Enuma, and concerns regarding Windu's conspiracy bombarding her into wakefulness. She was tense, and there was little that could be done to ease that tension.

From behind her, Somina could hear the sound of cloth rustling, and then falling to the ground. She could feel a small weight set upon the bed as well, and once she could feel cool skin against her own, she knew Enuma had followed suit as regarded the current dress code. Somina could feel the swell of Enuma's breasts against her back as the Twi'lek wrapped herself around Somina, pulling her close and holding her tightly. The feeling of that touch, that love and protection, always eased Somina's mind. Though they were both nude, Somina felt no pressure, just the enticing combination of warmth and cooling that Enuma's body provided for her. Somina slid one arm over Enuma's, and interlaced Enuma's fingers with her own. She found her eyes becoming heavy, and within minutes, Somina and Enuma both were deeply asleep.

Some time later, while the two slept, a beeping sound began to ring out through the command center of the _Two-Hearts_. It was the familiar tone that Somina had assigned to an incoming signal from Mace Windu. Perhaps they didn't hear the tone, or perhaps they just chose to ignore it. Either way, the transmission went unanswered, and on the far end, a very cross Mace Windu swore profusely at Somina's failure to respond.

Light began to filter into the cabin from the command module as the first of Nalebron's suns began to rise above the azure horizon. As the light began to be more and more noticeable, both Somina and Enuma began to meekly stir, and the occasional groan could be heard as the daylight began to force them into wakefulness. The night had been cool, and the two had been huddled together the entire night. For Enuma, it had felt refreshing, as if her beloved had finally accepted her as a lover as well as a companion, and for Somina, it was a joy to have had a dreamless sleep in the embrace of someone she loved with all her might. Nightmares had plagued Somina since she was driven out of the Jedi Order, and since Barriss Offee had betrayed her. The nightmares had gotten far worse after the execution of Order 66, when she could feel Jedi lives being snuffed out, one by one. For Darth Somina, a dreamless night was a peaceful night. If she didn't know better, Somina would have sworn that somehow, Enuma took the dreams away.

Of course, it was entirely possible that Enuma had abilities that Somina didn't know about, so perhaps it was just so. It would fit Enuma's personality perfectly; to soothe the heart and mind of her beloved was one of the things Enuma lived for. Somina chuckled quietly to herself, for Enuma couldn't even use the Force to push without knocking herself over in the process. Enuma was an able student, but to actively remove thoughts from someone's mind was beyond even Somina's own formidable abilities. If any of the Jedi, or even the Sith for that matter, had any such abilities, Somina was not aware of them. Even Yoda, who Somina had felt could have done anything he wished, didn't seem to have such a power. No, it made more sense for Somina to believe that Enuma's presence just soothed her soul.

Somina just wasn't aware of the silent prayer Enuma made each time they lay down together, the prayer asking that Somina's nightmares be taken from her.

The light no longer able to be denied, Somina rose from the bed, stretched briefly, and then threw a loose robe over herself, not wanting to expend the energy necessary to lace herself back into her clothes. She walked silently from the cabin, quietly shutting the door so as to not wake Enuma. The light coming from the command module was quite bright indeed, telling her that the hour was later than she'd originally thought. She walked quietly from the aft section of the ship into the command module, quickly looking over the various consoles. There did not appear to be any incoming transmissions, so she found herself able to relax in the quiet of the moment. Somina did not get many opportunities for quiet, and though she no longer practiced the rigors of Jedi meditation, once in a while even a Sith needed downtime. Though she would not have traded her time with Enuma for anything in the galaxy, the non-stop adventure wore away at Somina's resolve. Peace may in fact be a lie, but that didn't stop Somina from wanting a little of it.

From inside the command module, the view of the forested area of Nalebron sprawled out before her in the brilliant daylight. The lovely blue-green of the forest nearly matched the tone of Enuma's skin, a shade Somina had come to love. Somina had never imagined she could feel such passion for anyone, but Enuma filled so many of her thoughts. Somina still feared intimacy, but the legacy of betrayal she'd suffered prevented her from letting her guard down fully. It was all made worse by the fact that her betrayers had been her comrades; in truth, the only family she'd ever really known. She knew that one day, she would be ready to fully give herself to Enuma, and she earnestly hoped that Enuma would be willing to wait that long.

Somina worried, though, that someone as young, beautiful, and impressionable as Enuma could be taken from her by someone more willing to give her what she craved. Try as she might, Somina just could not let go. She trusted Enuma, but she was ever fearful of the day when Enuma tired of waiting for her. Somina cursed her fears, and cursed her own interminable weakness, but every time, she would hear the voice of Barriss Offee, mocking her.

_You should enjoy this peace while it lasts._

"I can't," Somina mumbled under her breath.

Somina turned, somewhat startled by her own voice. The acoustics in the ship were much different when they weren't in space; having an atmosphere outside the ship inevitably made something of an echo. She hoped she hadn't disturbed Enuma's sleep, and yet at the same time she craved the Twi'lek's presence. She looked again to the closed door leading to their quarters. Her mind went to less pure thoughts, imagining entering the cabin, crawling back into bed with Enuma, and giving in to their desires. She _wanted_ Enuma; desire was, of course, never the issue. She desperately wanted to overcome her own cowardice even more than she craved the touch of her love. Perhaps this was the day, Somina mused. After all, it was as close to ideal as they would ever get. The only pressing matter was searching for Ackbar, which, admittedly, was vitally important. It was her mission to investigate these strange pirate attacks, and Vader would only be willing to wait so long before becoming impatient with her once more. Somina could not stay in Vader's good graces much longer without results.

Somina stopped for a moment. Did she really just put sexual relations ahead of rescuing an innocent? She shook her head as if to clear her mind by force, her lekku slapping against her in both directions. She knew better, but it was so very, very easy to lose herself in the intoxicating fog that Enuma seemed to place around her brain when they were alone and close.

Somina sighed. As much as she wanted to just throw herself at Enuma, there was much more that had to be done first. She resolved to try later, once they had gotten some work done. Intimacy, physical and otherwise, was no easy task for someone trained to be closed off for their entire life. She owed Vader her allegiance, and Ackbar his safety. Once these things were taken care of, she would worry about making love to Enuma.

Her mind lost in introspection, Somina slowly ambled her way back to the cabin. She stood just inside the doorway, looking in over the sleeping form of Enuma on the bed, only partially covered by the rough sheet they shared. Sensations welled up within Somina as she took in the beauty before her; sensations that made her feel as if Darth Vader and Gial Ackbar could wait. Somina rarely took a moment to just appreciate the utter perfection of the Twi'lek; a magnificent hourglass, made all the more magnificent by the clever mind and noble heart within that strikingly beautiful body. Somina felt love and lust in equal measure swell within her, and though she wanted desperately to wake Enuma and find a way for them to be as one, she would never do something so discourteous to someone she cared about. Somina would instead take these emotions, these overpowering emotions, and store them away for use at a more appropriate time. It was a technique she'd developed as a Sith, one that allowed her to use her emotions without being carried away by them. It was a flaw, one of the most dangerous flaws, she'd seen Anakin Skywalker fall prey to many times, and she refused to make the same mistakes.

The only drawback to this internalization of her emotions was that it tended to sour her mood considerably when she was holding back great anger. Enuma knew when to avoid her, for when the eyes turned color, it was time to find somewhere else to be. Enuma never seemed to fear her, even when in the throes of the Dark Side, and that cheered her. Perhaps Enuma had seen so much horror in her life, that an enraged Sith apprentice just wasn't that terrifying.

That said a lot about the sort of beings that had mistreated Enuma. Beings that would pay, in due time, for what they did to Somina's beloved. Darth Somina would not allow such a thing to go unpunished, especially after so many nights of awakening to the Twi'lek's screams, nights spent holding the hysterical girl until she could sleep again. The mere thought of someone abusing such a beautiful, innocent creature was more than enough to move Somina to kill, though sometimes, different punishments were in order. Bib Fortuna was one of the unlucky ones Somina used to convey a message, and his severed lek was a clear message to Jabba the Hutt, one that had been summarily ignored.

That was just as well, for Somina wasn't much of a writer anyway. Somina turned away, not wanting to spend the entire day staring at the nude Twi'lek. She could easily do that, as entrancing as Enuma was. Somina had work to do, and…

"Beloved?"

Somina turned around sharply to see the Twi'lek having rolled over to face her, the sheet now only partially covering her legs. Enuma's expression was one of puzzlement. Somina's face felt flushed, almost embarrassed at having been caught looking. Enuma moved into a sitting position, her legs folded underneath her, her eyes never leaving Somina's gaze.

"Are you alright, beloved?"

Somina couldn't hold it back any longer.

She shrugged off her robe, letting it fall to the floor, her orange skin shimmering in the daylight that streamed into the cabin. Somina was more athletic than Enuma, though she was undeniably feminine even when dressed. Her muscles were well-defined, and could be seen flexing in the light as she moved towards the bed. She sat upon the bed as well, and without a word, took Enuma in her arms, kissing Enuma with all the passion she'd held back. Somina stretched out her hand and, with very little effort, slammed the cabin door shut. Then, suddenly, Somina pulled away, and Enuma nearly gasped as their lips parted. Somina, a small smile on her face, reached out with her right hand, and gently, lovingly, stroked Enuma's left front lek. Enuma shivered with pleasure as the intense sensations ran through her body. Enuma knew that Somina was aware of what such an act meant; it meant that Somina was finally able to trust her completely, and was ready to be with her in all ways.

Somina reached out her left hand, and caressed Enuma's right front lek, and Enuma quivered in delight. Somina was enjoying seeing the pleasure on Enuma's face, an expression that she'd never seen adorn the Twi'lek's lovely features. Enuma, however, had other plans in mind.

Enuma nestled up close to Somina's body, her cool skin rubbing against Somina's. Starting about halfway down Somina's abdomen, Enuma began kissing her softly, slowly working her way up between Somina's breasts, and finally just below Somina's neck. With her lips and tongue, Enuma took Somina to levels of ecstasy that she'd never dreamed of before this moment.

With a wicked grin, Enuma began to run her tongue up the length of Somina's right lek. The feeling was unlike any sensation that Somina had ever known. The Togruta lekku were not quite as sensitive as those of the Twi'lek, but the wave of sensual bliss that washed over Somina was akin to her first experience with touching the Force. Somina started to drift into the aether, her mind being washed away in a tide of sensation she was not prepared to receive. She was brought back to physical reality abruptly, however, for Enuma was not done with her yet.

Enuma, her eyes sparkling in the faint light, parted her lips, and to Somina's delight, took Somina's lek into her mouth. Somina arched her back hard at the sensation, one that had no parallel to anything she'd ever felt. It was then that something that surprised both Enuma and Somina both happened, something neither could have expected. They could feel the Force flowing through them, and through the torrent of energy and light, they felt as if they had become one being. Both could feel the sensations of the other, and both could perceive the other's perceptions and thoughts. Through the Force, they perceived a universe interconnected, even to each other; it was if their bodies were united. They could not tell how long this state lasted, for there was no sense of the passage of time, but it seemed to almost stretch into infinity. There was not merely Darth Somina and Enuma; they were all iterations of each other throughout the time-space continuum.

Though the experience seemed to go on infinitely, eventually their perceptions of the totality began to waver and flicker, like a guttering candle in a breeze. Somina and Enuma regained their individual perceptions, but when they became aware of their surroundings again, they discovered their bodies were embracing one another, arms and hands interlocked in a posture of unity.

To continue their lovemaking seemed pointless after that, and they held each other for some time, feeling reassured, loved, and comforted all at once. Still, Somina had a nagging sensation in the back of her mind, a feeling that her time as a Sith had taught her to never ignore. Something, somewhere, was wrong, and she would have to find and deal with it.

Somina arose from the bed, her legs still somewhat weak. Whether it was from the intense Force-experience she'd had, or the sky-shattering orgasm that she'd had, Somina wasn't sure. Still far too disoriented to even care about her nudity, Somina stumbled out of the cabin, trying to get her bearings.

After clearing her head in the cooler air of the rest of the ship, Somina walked into the command module, intent on checking the sensors and comm units. There had been nothing detected; no signals, no sign of the pods, and no Vader checking up on them. She sighed quietly with relief, and then set herself and Enuma to preparing the ship for launch. They would locate Ackbar and his people, no matter what.

Half a world away, Gial Ackbar wasn't so fortunate. His escape pod had gotten off course, and landed in the middle of the massive rain forest that nearly covered the northern hemisphere of Nalebron. He'd managed to make it down to the actual surface, which he considered a blessing from the universe itself, as the trees of Nalebron's Great Jungle dwarfed even the trees of Kashyyyk. So massive were these ancient trees that the jungle actually extended into the ocean itself, with the roots in the sea floor, and the canopy hundreds of meters above the surface. There were drawbacks to being on solid ground, though, and he was learning firsthand what a Nalebron jungle darkflow was like. The darkflow was a massive surge of mud and debris kicked up by water cascading down from the massive trees, like a thousand thunderous cataracts, as the seemingly unending thunderstorms raged above the terrifyingly distant canopy. Ackbar himself was quite comfortable with having to swim, as the Mon Calamari were an aquatic species, but the pod, and all his equipment, wasn't quite so at home, sinking rather rapidly into the darkflow. Ackbar was left with the clothes on his back, a blaster pistol, and a commlink with a severely limited range. He could only hope that the 'Jedi', Somina, was honoring her word, and looking for him and the other survivors.

Somina, her attention almost solely focused on the sensors, communications, and steering the ship, still occasionally took a second to glance over at Enuma who, despite doing her job, always seemed to be looking at her with a huge, silly smile on her face. Though Somina had cursed herself for her lack of focus, she had no regrets about what had occurred. They both felt much better about the state of their relationship, and both had divested themselves of a huge emotional burden that was growing out of control. She was happy, and Enuma was happy. That was all that mattered.

Somina, still a little irritated at herself, looked over environmental scans, trying to narrow down places to search. They were low enough in the atmosphere that they could fairly easily see any wreckage, or indications of a crash, assuming that said crashes didn't happen in the rain forest. A good wind, one easily provided by the nearly-perpetual storms over the jungle, could quickly erase any sign of an escape pod penetrating the canopy. She decided it was time to act, and she retrieved Enuma from her afterglow. They dressed quickly, and prepared the ship to move out.

Luck was with them, and they'd fairly quickly located nine of the ten pods, and all hands had been accounted for with them. The only one missing was Ackbar, who'd ejected later than the others, during the dogfight. One of the other Mon Calamari had informed Somina that he'd been in contact with Ackbar, and that the last known coordinates of Ackbar's pod were near the coast, in a darkflow area.

"Of course it would be there," Enuma huffed. "Perhaps we should have waited to ha…"

"Let's discuss that later," Somina quickly interrupted. "Right now, we need to find Ackbar."

Enuma seemed to take the hint, and immediately set herself to tending the injured and shaken up Mon Calamari now aboard the _Two-Hearts_. The ship always seemed so roomy, when it was just the two of them, but with nine more individuals aboard, things seemed awfully cramped. Enuma had set up a temporary triage area in the cargo hold, though that was really a glorified closet. She did everything she could to make the Mon Calamari comfortable while aboard, and this kept her quite busy, but not so busy as to not occasionally flash a loving smile at her beloved.

Enuma tried very hard to keep her head out of the clouds, but her mind kept drifting to joyful thoughts of her and her beloved finally making love. It had been so wonderful, and yet awkward at first, as Somina had no previous experience, especially not with a female. For once, _Enuma_ had been the patient and loving teacher, and this made her feel very good about herself. She still didn't feel that she'd completely repaid Somina's kindness, but now she didn't feel like it was as necessary as it had been. Besides, it turned out that Somina was amazingly gifted at massage of the lekku, in addition to being the best kisser in the known galaxy. Enuma felt so…lucky. She felt like for the first time in her life, the universe smiled on her. She couldn't help but have a huge, toothy smile on her face, and even though Somina was in her usual ultra-serious mode, Enuma would be there to cheer her when the time came. She felt like there was nothing that could possibly end their happiness.

Enuma looked around at the rescued people that packed the ship, and to her surprise, she noticed that not all of the rescued people were Mon Calamari. Near the main access hatch, soaking wet and trembling like a leaf in the wind, a Wookiee sat, curled up like an infant in the womb. Enuma hadn't noticed the Wookiee at first, and from the looks of things, she believed that the Wookiee had no desire to be noticed. Still, Enuma felt it her duty to tend to everyone they'd rescued, and that included upset Wookiees, regardless of any potential danger.

Enuma walked up to the Wookiee, and smiled. "Hello! I am Enuma. We helped rescue you from the planet. What is your name?"

The Wookiee, its trembling not abating in the least, looked up at Enuma briefly, and then looked away quickly, as if terrified. Enuma, slightly confused, tilted her head slightly at this. She hadn't personally known many Wookiees, but she'd heard many stories told by soldiers on Ryloth about the bravery of the Wookiees. Here was an apparently timid creature, but instead of finding it humorous, it made Enuma's heart go out to it all the more; Enuma knew how it felt to be afraid. She knelt down and placed a hand gently on the Wookiee's shoulder, and reassured it. "It will be alright, my friend. You do not have to talk now. Just know that you are safe and that Somina and I will care for you."

The Wookiee seemed to understand, even though it was still acting quite timid. Enuma stood again, her smile still bright and cheerful. "If you need anything, please look for me. It's not a large ship, so I will be easy to find."

The Wookiee, in a very meek tone, emitted a tiny rumble. Enuma turned back to face the Wookiee again, her smile even brighter.

"I am very glad to meet you, Liakykam. When you are feeling better, I will take you to meet Somina. She is my beloved, and she will protect you. For now, rest. I will check on you later."

The Wookiee nodded weakly, and Enuma returned to her duties. Others, in various states of injury, needed tending, and the fate of Captain Ackbar was still uncertain. Enuma didn't care, though, for she was with her beloved, and that was all she required.

Darth Somina, on the other hand, was feeling stress in the extreme. She needed information that Gial Ackbar had, information that Darth Vader had commanded her to acquire, and she was fighting against some terrible odds. Attempting to locate one escape pod on a planet with monstrous jungles, massive mud tsunamis, and perpetual storms wasn't exactly the easiest thing she'd ever had to do, but she was always more determined than sensible. How many times, as a Jedi padawan, had she gotten herself in over her head, only to manage to get herself extricated from that bad situation? How many times had she rescued Anakin from an equally dark fate?

 _Only you didn't rescue him from the one that mattered,_ she thought. _You weren't there for him when it all changed._

Somina reminded herself of why she'd initially wanted to keep Enuma at arm's length; her failure to keep Anakin from his fate still haunted her. The rage she felt, the rage and hatred for the cackling bastard on the throne of the Empire, was what drove her. She could see the face of Sheev Palpatine in her sleep, laughing at her, mocking her failure. She would see him suffer for his crimes one day, and she damned well would be the one to deliver the killing blow. She'd earned the right when Palpatine had destroyed her world, destroyed her life, and destroyed the person she'd loved. Now, all that remained was a mechanical shell, without the lust for life that had attracted her to Anakin in the first place.

Vader had been right about one thing, though. Peace truly _was_ a lie.

Somina piloted the ship expertly, maneuvering through the dangerous updrafts and downdrafts of the roiling storms. Even with this, even being so close to where the other Mon Calamari believed Ackbar to have been, there was no trace of the pod, and no signal from Ackbar. Even reaching out with the Force yielded clouded results, for something was keeping her from seeing clearly.

"Beloved?"

Somina turned to see Enuma standing in the doorway leading into the command module. She seemed distraught at the scowl on Somina's face. "Enuma. I'm sorry, I'm trying to find Captain Ackbar, but something is…"

"Something is cutting the Force off from us. Yes, I feel it as well, beloved. I have also been trying to find him, though I am not as strong as you."

Somina thought for a moment, and then seemed to perk up slightly. "Maybe if we try together. I mean, after what happened, before…maybe we can tap into the Force a little better that way." Enuma nodded, and immediately started to pull her top off. Somina rolled her eyes playfully and stopped Enuma from stripping nude in front of their guests. "No, not _**completely**_ like before! Just, together, you know, united like we were."

"Beloved, I am not sure we _**can**_ do that without doing what we were doing before." Enuma seemed genuinely puzzled at Somina's inability to grasp the obvious.

"Humor me. Let's try."

Somina stood and turned to face Enuma, her hands out in front of her, her palms facing Enuma. Enuma mirrored the pose, pressing her palms against Somina's. They closed their eyes, and then, together, reached their senses out to the Force. They could feel themselves in each other's presence, but the merging of minds and hearts, that which had made the previous experience so powerful, wasn't there. What was there, however, was a monstrous cloud of darkness wrapping itself around the entirety of Nalebron. Somina and Enuma were both shocked; why had they not noticed this before?

The cloud was cold, terrifyingly so, and there was something best described as unclean about it. It roiled and churned around them, not touching them so much as permeating them, body and spirit. Somina could sense Enuma's unease, and tried to soothe her, but the cloud filled Enuma with such dread that Somina feared they would lose their chance at locating Ackbar.

Then, suddenly, a source of light appeared, from far below them. It wasn't large, or particularly powerful, but it was there, and quite noticeable against the background of boiling black. They knew, instantly, that they had located Ackbar. They could finally sense him, as if they'd managed to poke a hole in the surging darkness all around them, one large enough to extend their senses outward enough to find the lost Mon Calamari.

They knew they had to act quickly, for Ackbar was trapped in the rushing tide of the darkflow, and so they separated their hands, and the visions flickered until they once more stood inside the ship. Somina jumped into the command seat and slammed the ship downwards towards where they'd sensed Ackbar, and sure enough, seated precariously on a rock outcropping was Gial Ackbar, alive. Somina lowered the ship down to just above the surge of the darkflow, opening the hatch and allowing Enuma to help the Mon Calamari climb into the ship. The grateful Mon Calamari thanked Enuma as she sealed the hatch, and she escorted him to the hold, offering to treat any wounds.

"Thank you. I'm a fair swimmer, but the darkflow is far too strong for me to be able to navigate for long. I was hoping you were looking for me." The expression on Ackbar's face was difficult for Enuma to read, but she believed he was smiling.

"You are welcome, Captain Ackbar. Somina would not give up on someone in her care. May I get you anything?" Enuma asked, smiling.

"No, child, I just would like to rest for a bit. Have you located the others?"

Enuma's smile seemed to widen. "We have! Nine Mon Calamari and a very wet Wookiee."

Ackbar chuckled quietly. "Ah, yes. Liakykam. She was coming with us back to Mon Cala, to work with a Quarren scientist of some renown. She is unlike any Wookiee I have known, as she's…"

"Timid?" Enuma interjected.

"I was going to say 'scholarly'. She's doing research into alternative power generation methods. I don't understand all the technological falderal, but she insists she's doing important work. At any rate, she booked passage with us, not knowing what all would occur."

"I still do not understand what happened to your ship, Captain Ackbar. You said there was some sort of hook?"

"That's the best way I can describe it. It was shaped like a colossal hook, half the size of your ship, but it wasn't metal, or it didn't seem to be. It glowed, much like a Jedi lightsaber does. It sliced through the hull of my ship like it was paper, and then it seemed to almost crystallize, solidify. Then it just tore open a large piece of the hull. We managed to get emergency force fields in place before we lost too many people, but after that, we were disabled and adrift. Then, you found us. The rest, I believe you know."

"What about the ship the hook was attached to?" Enuma inquired.

"It looked like a typical Corellian Corvette, painted with Imperial colors, as were the TIE fighters. Strange, though, they didn't maneuver like Imperial ships. Too undisciplined, too random to be Imperial. That's why I assumed they were pirates at first. What I don't understand is that once they'd torn open the hull, the Corvette jumped into hyperspace and disappeared. They didn't try to board, they didn't loot anything. Not that we were carrying anything of interest, anyway. It's a mystery to me who they were, and why they attacked us."

Enuma nodded. "I will tell Somina what you told me, Captain. Please, make yourself as at home as you can. We can get you back to Mon Cala if you like."

"I would appreciate that. I'm sorry, I did not get your name."

"Enuma. Enuma…just Enuma. I do not know my family name."

"Enuma is fine. A lovely name for a lovely lady."

Enuma might have blushed, had she the capability. "Oh, thank you, Captain. You embarrass me! Now, rest. I will see if Somina wishes to speak with you later."

Enuma turned to go as the Mon Calamari sat down gingerly, his aching body still bothering him. She left the hold with a brisk stride, not realizing the large furry mass that stood just in front of her. She nearly walked right into Liakykam.

Liakykam, now standing, didn't seem all that much taller than Enuma. Enuma estimated the Wookiee at maybe two and a quarter meters tall, which was actually fairly short for the Wookiees. She emitted a weak roar, which sounded almost like an enhanced squeak.

"I am sorry, Liakykam. I did not notice you there. I am sorry for being inattentive," Enuma said, her smile still bright and cheery.

The Wookiee spoke, sounds ranging from low growls to high-pitched whines. Enuma stood, nodding her head, seeming to understand everything the Wookiee said.

"You are still much taller than I, Liakykam. I do not desire to 'pick on' anyone. I don't find it shocking at all that there are Wookiee scientists. You are of an intelligent race, just as we all are. Not every Twi'lek is a slave girl. We have priests, and doctors, and scientists as well."

The Wookiee put her large paws on top of her head in a gesture of frustration. She rumbled a bit, then a low whine.

"We all have a lot to learn from each other. I believe this voyage will be a good thing for all of us, Liakykam. May I call you 'Liak' for short?"

The Wookiee roared, the most emphatic Enuma had seen her yet.

"I do not mean 'short' as in referring to your height. I mean as a nickname, so I do not have to use your full formal name all the time."

Liakykam grumbled a bit, her head seeming to hang.

"No, Enuma is my formal name. I do not know my family name."

Liakykam made a brief huffing sound, and a low growl.

Enuma walked up to Liakykam and gave her a hug, resting her head on the Wookiee's chest. "It is alright. We both said mean things. It does not mean we cannot get over ourselves. Perhaps we can be friends!"

Liak squeaked at Enuma, followed by a muffled barking sound.

"I find that unlikely that a beautiful lady like you doesn't have any friends!"

The Wookiee squeaked again, this time in a hushed tone, with a low rumble punctuating.

"Thinking you are beautiful doesn't always mean I wish to have a romantic relationship with you! I am already taken, thank you very much!"

Somina, sitting in the command module, and hearing everything that had been said between Enuma and the Wookiee, tried very hard not to laugh loudly. The exchange between Enuma and Liakykam had struck Somina as so funny, she'd almost pulled a muscle trying to restrain the laugh. Somina had met a couple Wookiees prior to Liakykam coming aboard the _Two-Hearts_. The unique sound of Wookiee speech made her think back to young Gungi, a Wookiee padawan she'd known briefly during the Clone Wars. She recalled taking a group of younglings to the planet Ilum in search of crystals for their lightsabers. She'd seen mere children grow just a little that day, Gungi being one of the most prominent.

She had to assume that Gungi was dead now, murdered by the actions of the Empire. Her nostalgia and sentimentality darkened, and she felt the rage boil up once more. She let the boiling hot anger fill her as only such passionate emotions could. It only strengthened her conviction; Emperor Palpatine would die at her hands. Everything else was a means to an end. Windu, Maul…Vader.

Somina could not allow herself to think of Vader as he was any longer. She knew in her heart that Anakin _was_ dead, even if there was someone walking about in his ravaged body. She had to believe he was dead, for the alternative was far worse; the idea that Anakin was a slave to Palpatine, trapped within the shell of Darth Vader, horrified Somina to her very core. It enraged her that it could even be possible that Anakin could be forced to do Palpatine's bidding, but at the same time, so much more made sense if you considered it that way.

Somina snapped out of her rage for a moment as a stray thought crossed her consciousness. She found that she was now quite prone to rash action, her temper was incredibly short, and she preferred to overpower an opponent rather than outmaneuver them. It struck her like a bolt of lightning, and she nearly gasped as a result. She had become just like Anakin had been, just before his fall…just before her failure.

It was in that moment of fleeting clarity that the great question of her own life became clear to the Sith apprentice Darth Somina, once known as Ahsoka Tano; was _HER_ fall going to be any less a failure?


	4. Chapter 4

"Damn it!" exclaimed Mace Windu as he threw the comm transceiver down. "Of course, an opportunity comes up, and she won't even respond! I should have known better than to trust a…"

"A _what_ , Master Windu?" Maul quipped, the question most definitely barbed in nature. "A Sith? A girl? May I remind you that _YOU_ are the one that chose her, not I. She's far too close to Vader to be trusted."

"She was reckless, even as a Jedi padawan. Why Yoda chose to have Skywalker train her, I will never know." Windu had pulled his messy hair back in a less-messy bunch, mostly for the sake of freedom of movement, but it had the added effect of presenting the slightest sliver of the imposing figure he'd once been. "And who said I trusted her? Or you, for that matter?"

Maul smiled; a cold, heartless smile, revealing his jagged, foul teeth. "You'd be a fool to." The Sith, though he seemed calm, was pacing. Windu had always thought that the Sith slithered more than he walked, and he was certain that Maul cultivated that image. Maul was tailor-made to inspire fear and dread, and had been since his childhood. Windu didn't know the entire story, of course; Maul wasn't terribly forthcoming about his personal matters. His apprenticeship under Palpatine, however, was a different story. He'd told tales of excruciating torture at the Sith Lord's hands, tales that made even Windu cringe. One of his favorite to discuss was the origin of his tattoos; they had been burned into his skin by the Dark Lord of the Sith himself, over a period of several days. He'd been lucky to retain what little sanity he had.

"We need someone to follow up on this. We're too visible, too easily identified. We're taking a chance with the girl, but a lesser chance than we would be if it were one of us." Windu clearly had no desire to leave their base.

"Bah! Cowardice!" Maul spat, losing his patience with the former Jedi's prattle. "I cannot… _will not_ …stay buried in this little hole in the ground while my enemies entrench themselves ever deeper! There's a weakness now, we _MUST_ exploit it!"

Windu shook his head dismissively. "There's no weakness to exploit, only a possibility. They're shuffling around their scientists in a way that doesn't make sense." Windu gestured to a nearby screen, where some personnel listings scrolled by. "Look here, both Galen Erso and Orson Krennic, well-known, award-winning scientists, have been reassigned from their original jobs to some new special projects division."

Maul's patience was wearing thin, but he kept his cool, for the moment. "So?"

"So? 'Special projects division' usually implies something secret, something military. Knowing that both Erso and Krennic have done a lot of work with varying energy sources, well, you may get the idea now."

"A weapon…" Suddenly, Maul's eyes widened. "Something the galaxy has never seen before, knowing how the Emperor thinks. Something truly terrifying. It is his way, to sow fear."

"Something we need to stop. Something that has information we need our friend Somina to find."

Darth Somina, however, had problems of her own. There were eleven extra people aboard her ship, and quiet, much less privacy, was difficult to come by. She hadn't slept much since picking up the Mon Calamari and their Wookiee friend, and it wasn't having a very positive effect on her mood. Though the ship hadn't sustained a lot of damage during the battle with the strange TIE fighters, there had been enough that she wasn't immensely comfortable pushing their hyperdrive until they could get repairs done. Captain Ackbar had assured them they would be able to have their own people work on the _Two-Hearts_ once they'd returned to Mon Cala, for which Somina was grateful, but the long trip there was irritating her down to her last nerve.

Enuma had spent a lot of time with Liakykam, and seemed to have formed a friendship with the Wookiee. Somina was glad to see Enuma socializing like a young woman should; after all the horrors Enuma had inflicted upon her, her recovery was going surprisingly well. She did, however, have to question just what it was that Enuma saw in the Wookiee. After all, Liakykam was not like any Wookiee she'd ever met. Gungi had been brave to a fault, and she'd heard tales of the valor of Wookiees on Kashyyyk when the clones had turned on the Jedi. Rumors had gotten around that a Wookiee named Chewbacca had been responsible for Yoda escaping the clones' attack, but there was no evidence to substantiate this rumor. Wookiees were known to be brave and honorable, and Liakykam was most definitely not brave. The slightest vibration or sound, and Liakykam would go into hysterics. Clearly, the Wookiee hadn't done much travelling in hyperspace.

Nevertheless, Enuma took to the cowardly Wookiee quite readily, and Liak seemed to take to Enuma as well. Enuma's presence seemed to calm the hysterical Wookiee, so there was one less noise Somina had to deal with. She was pragmatic, if nothing else, and the fewer things that got under her skin, the better. She had enough to deal with as it was, in hunting down this mystery weapon that had attacked the _Homeward Star_. Ackbar had rehashed what he'd told Enuma, and Somina had been unable to glean anything new from his information. It was as he'd said from the beginning; a ship with a massive hook that seemed to glow, similar to the glow of a lightsaber, and tore through the hull of his ship far too easily to be a standard weapon.

Vader had steered her in the right direction, though, when he'd mentioned kyber crystals. The crystals, which were an integral part of lightsabers, were kept under the tightest of security, and had been since the beginning of the Empire. Only a few systems had them, and none were easily accessible to anyone not Imperial military. Places like Jedha, Ilum, and a few others had substantial deposits, but Jedha was under heavy Imperial garrison. Still, it was the closest and best place to begin her search. Once she got the Mon Calamari back home, and made some repairs, it would be her first stop. She had enough Imperial codes to be able to slip in and out without ruffling too many feathers, but she would have to maintain a low profile while there.

She could hear, from the back of the ship, the odd noise that she believed was a Wookiee laugh. Enuma clearly had a way about her, something that utterly disarmed you, and filled you with such happiness that you couldn't help but laugh. Somina often thought about Enuma, even when she was still nearby, still wondering how the events of the last weeks could have turned into such a fortutitous thing for her. She'd fallen for Enuma, more completely than she'd ever dreamt she could, and the Twi'lek filled her thoughts and heart almost all the time. She considered herself quite lucky, even more so since Enuma lacked the typical prejudice against the Sith. No, Enuma hadn't embraced the Dark Side, and she might never, but she didn't judge Somina for having done so. Enuma accepted her for who, and what, she was, and this just made Somina feel even luckier.

The blue orb of Mon Cala loomed before them as they came out of the final jump. The mood among the rescued Mon Calamari greatly improved upon seeing their homeworld again, and even Captain Ackbar got a certain sparkle in his eyes once he lay eyes upon his world. To someone in orbit, the planet was a beautiful sapphire sphere, mostly ocean. Clouds swirled and drifted lazily across the surface, and even the floating cities that dotted the surface sparkled. It was beautiful in the extreme, and Somina instantly understood why the Mon Calamari were so proud of their world.

On the surface, however, was a much different story. An Imperial garrison had been set up, and the Imperial governor of Mon Cala, Moff Krytonn, ruled the planet with an iron fist. He did, however, allow trade vessels to come and go with relative freedom, as he was no fool when it came to business. Somina hoped that they would be able to take care of matters with little, if any, fanfare. She preferred to avoid the attention of Imperial officers that she didn't know to be loyal to Darth Vader. Sulaiman, the watch commander she'd encountered on Coruscant, had been an exception. Most officers owed a great deal to the Emperor after their rise through the ranks, and put his interests before all else, including the interests of Darth Vader.

Using her Imperial clearance codes, she was able to land with little issue, and as the Mon Calamari disembarked, Ackbar set immediately to getting his people to repair and refuel the _Two-Hearts_. Enuma agreed to accompany Liak to her apartment, not far from the spaceport, and had gone off with the Wookiee almost as soon as they could get the airlocks open. This gave Somina the rarest of pleasures: time alone. She loved Enuma's company, to be sure, but Somina needed time away from everyone at times, including Enuma.

Somina entered the cabin and flopped onto the bed, back first. Her lekku splayed out around her as she landed with a thump. She stared at the ceiling of the cabin for a moment, letting her mind blank out for just a little while. It was exceedingly rare that Somina didn't need to think about anything, and she enjoyed those opportunities when they presented themselves. Her mind kept drifting back to thoughts of Jedha, however, and the loss of her own mental discipline frustrated the Sith apprentice even more. She knew, somehow, that there were answers there, but she couldn't say _how_ she knew. Somina trusted in the Force, even though the Force seemed to like getting her into mortal peril. Everything she knew in her gut, everything that she trusted, said Jedha was the place to go.

It was odd, then, that Somina had never been there, and knew next to nothing about it. Rumors and conjecture flew randomly about the planet, stories ranging from it being the birthplace of the Jedi Order to it being the origin point of the universe. What was known, however, was that there was a Jedi presence there for thousands of years, until the rise of the Empire, and that an enormous deposit of kyber crystals still lay buried beneath the surface. Beyond that, it was a desert world, and the population was concentrated around the main city, on a massive plateau, surrounded by gigantic, ancient walls. Somewhere there, in that holy city, Somina would find the answers she sought.

Enuma and Liakykam made their way through the streets of the city, heading towards the massive university complex on the opposite side of the platform upon which sat the floating city. There were a great number of these floating cities on Mon Cala, built by the Mon Calamari and the Quarren to shelter their non-aquatic guests. Both races were amphibious, and could come and go from the oceans as they wished, but they felt, in a rare show of agreement, that trade and education could both be greatly enhanced by providing territory for those who could not breathe the sea.

Liak expounded in great detail on the finer points of the university, and how important the work of her mentor, a Quarren scientist named Dr. Me Cunx, would one day be for the entire galaxy. Liak was quite proud of being selected by Dr. Cunx to assist him, and was not shy about listing off her qualifications. Enuma was no fool, but neither was she a scientist, and much of Liak's exposition went over her head. Enuma just nodded when it seemed appropriate, and agreed when the Wookiee would drop cues to do so. They'd walked quite a while, and Enuma's feet were getting sore. Liak had a much longer stride than she, even though Liak was small by Wookiee standards.

After arriving at the university's Energy Sciences laboratory, Liak was greeted by an imposing individual, dressed in Imperial uniform and having an oddly squid-shaped head. Liak excitedly introduced Enuma to Dr. Cunx himself, and Enuma politely shook his hand. Having never seen a Quarren before, much less spoke with one, she was unsure of how to behave, and her reticence must have shown.

"You need not worry, Twi'lek. You will find I am quite difficult to offend," said Dr. Cunx, with a tone in his voice that suggested great amusement above anything else. Enuma smiled at the Quarren professor, though the expression she got in return was difficult to interpret. She chose to call it a smile, and went on with the conversation. "I cannot tell you how grateful we all are to have Liakykam back here, safe. She's a bright young mind, and when I heard that her ship had been attacked, I was greatly concerned. She is, after all, like a daughter to me."

At that, Liak purred quietly, only vocalizing a couple short huffs after that. Dr. Cunx laughed, an unmistakable sound. Enuma was amazed at just how many kinds of laughs there were in the galaxy. In the circles she'd been shuttled about in, you saw a wide variety of races, but very few of them laughed, unless they were indulging in one vice or another. Since she'd often been that vice, Enuma had paid little attention to the laughter. When you were little more than a sex slave, it was easier to go on living if you didn't accept what was happening to you as reality.

"She is so very modest! Come, if you like, I will show you just what Liak has been doing here." Dr. Cunx gestured towards a large vault door just off the main chamber.

"I would very much enjoy that, Dr. Cunx. Thank you!" Enuma smiled at both Cunx and Liak, still trying to process the notion of a Wookiee treated as offspring by a Quarren.

The three walked up to the locked door, and after Dr. Cunx had entered the security code into the small terminal next to the door, the massive vault opened with a hiss. "Our project is not classified, nor is it military, so there should be no problems with you seeing what Liak is up to. Here at Energy Sciences, we have been hard at work coming up with new, safe, and most of all, inexpensive means of generating power. It's a big Empire, and keeping sufficient power flowing even to individual systems is difficult at best. Coruscant, for example, only functions because crews of technicians work day and night to maintain the massive systems of generators, reactors, and transfer systems. We've been exploring other avenues of power generation, trying to find systems that can benefit everyone involved. Many, like Erso, Krennic, even my former associate Dr. Chozai, believed that kyber crystals were the solution, a solution that until recently, the Jedi hoarded jealously. Now, with the Jedi out of the way, the Empire has access to the kyber mines that is unprecedented, and yet, with very few exceptions, there has been little progress in generating power from them on an industrial scale."

Dr. Cunx walked over to a wall of monitors, readouts, and access terminals. He gestured to a large screen near the center, where varying design schematics and large lists of seemingly-random numbers flickered past, at a pace that Enuma found dizzying. "I, on the other hand, have discovered something that could revolutionize the whole process. Where many of my colleagues are researching kyber, I am looking at something far more fundamental. Something in far greater abundance." He walked over to a large, metallic tank, and opened a sealed hatch near the top. "Water!"

Enuma's confusion finally registered on her face. "I do not understand. What about water?"

Dr. Cunx seemed taken aback by her question. "Why, child, it's the fuel of the future! Do you understand how stars work?"

"Of course I do," Enuma lied. "But what does that have to do with this?"

"Stars function by crushing down on the most basic element in the universe, one we refer to as 'hydrogen'. The heat and pressure are so intense that the hydrogen atoms are literally smashed together to create a new element, that we call 'helium'. Through this alchemy, the fiery power of the stars is unleashed, generating immense energy, far more than it took to create it." Cunx gestured to another display. "We don't have that sort of power at our disposal, so we use an intense laser beam to start the fusion process. Our only worry right now is that we need a lot of power to start the reaction."

Liak muttered and rumbled, and let out a few gurgling sounds. "Liak says it right. We've had to use a kyber-powered laser to start the reaction, which essentially defeats the purpose. However, as my former associate discovered, there is an ambient energy field all around us that we only recently began to be aware of. He developed a component that allows us to tap into it, and that provided all the power we require. From all we've been able to measure, the field is self-regenerating, so it is unlikely to be depleted of energy. Although the Energy Sciences Institute has dismissed Dr. Chozai, what of his work wasn't patently illegal and unethical has proven most useful!"

Enuma understood enough of what she had heard to be aghast. "You mean, you found a way to power a laser…with the Force?"

Dr. Cunx chuckled, an unsettling sound. "Well, I don't know if I would necessarily give the field that particular mystical label, but…well, yes."

Enuma's eyes wide, and her jaw slack, she desperately tried to process what she'd just heard. After all, it seemed like it was for a good cause, but there seemed something fundamentally _wrong_ with siphoning power directly from the Force. As illogical as it seemed, her gut told her this was not a good thing at all. "I think I need to speak to this Dr. Chozai. Where might I find him?"

Cunx raised his hands in front of him, palms up, facing Enuma. "I wouldn't know. After the Institute dismissed him, I didn't bother keeping in touch. His work was highly controversial, even dangerous. It's best to distance ourselves from him."

Liak rumbled a bit, then roared, more emphatically than Enuma had heard her speak before.

Dr. Cunx developed an annoyed tone, and a tiny bit of black liquid seemed to almost dribble from beneath his face-tentacles. "How would _I_ know he went to Jedha? All I said to him was 'You've been dismissed' and he stormed out. He never stopped to say 'Jolly good, old man! Now that I'm sacked, I'm off to Jedha!'"

Enuma felt a tug at the very seams of her consciousness, an instinct that told her something very bad was about to happen. Cunx and Liak continued to bicker, and Enuma said her good-byes and departed the lab. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew she needed to get back to Somina, and quickly.

As she moved swiftly back towards the spaceport, she was so focused on getting back to Somina that she failed to take notice of the person standing just off the main paths, hidden in the shadows, so obviously following her.

Far from Mon Cala, in a graceful orbit over the dun sphere of Jedha, the Star Destroyer _Indestructible_ sat, locked in position far over the only major settlement on the planet. Though from the exterior, the ship looked peaceful, almost serene, on the inside was mass pandemonium. Captain Jaakib Tyler, the current commanding officer of the Indestructible, had just received the single worst news of his ever-shortening career.

"I haven't the slightest idea who I have so horribly displeased as to deserve this fate, but I assure you, I have committed no offense so severe as this!" Capt. Tyler grumbled to himself as he walked briskly down the corridor to the command center. He'd been in command of the newly-built ship for only a couple weeks, and already the workload seemed unending. Inexperienced officers, inept crew, and technical malfunctions plagued him around the clock. Had he been stationed anywhere but the most barren and remote of outposts in the entirety of the Empire, he'd likely have been removed from command by now on grounds of incompetence. The Emperor looked unfavorably upon failure, and thus so did the Vice Admiral to whom Tyler reported.

That particular Vice Admiral was, according to the latest communiqué, en route to meet up with the _Indestructible_ , to inspect her and her crew. Tyler had been proud of his short career, and it seemed a shame that he'd likely meet a particularly nasty end for the crime of accepting the assignment that no one else seemed to want. Though he'd survived inspections before, they were always aboard other commanders' ships, and he'd only been responsible for one or two departments. Now, the entire ship was his responsibility, and the Imperial Navy was most displeased with his inability to govern his own vessel.

Upon reaching the bridge, several of the officers on deck descended upon him like carrion birds, each trying to pick off their own chunk of the bloated carcass that was Tyler's career. He heard their grievances one at a time, after finally getting them to stop all talking at once, and reminded them that if they didn't get things in order with all speed, they'd likely all end up working in a tibanna gas facility, without respirators. Tyler's day had gotten so bad, that the normally-pessimistic commander couldn't possibly find a way things could get worse.

Oddly enough, on this day, they didn't.

"Captain?" The trembling voice intruded on the world-weary captain's thoughts as he stared out the large viewport on the bridge. It was, of course, Lieutenant Darvil, who had become the de facto bearer of ill tidings between the crew and their commanding officer. Lt. Darvil often shook like a leaf in a strong wind, partially due to long hours without sleep and being the recipient of the majority of Tyler's wrath. Truth be told, Darvil was incredibly capable when the pressure was on, moreso than during downtime, and because of this, Tyler found her indispensible. Still, during the times when there was little going on, she frequently annoyed him with her meek demeanor. He tried to overlook it, time and again, but his innate loathing of weakness meant he harangued her all the more.

"Darvil. What nightmares do you bring me this time?" Tyler sighed, knowing there was bad news to be had.

"We've received new orders from Fleet Command. We are not to rendezvous with the _Chimaera_ as originally planned, but instead we are to remain here for the time being. The Vice Admiral has commanded you to contact him immediately," Darvil said, half-defending herself from imagined blows.

Tyler turned abruptly enough to startle Darvil. "We're _what_? Are you certain?"

Darvil nodded. "Yes, sir. We confirmed the orders with the Vice Admiral himself."

Tyler nodded curtly. "Very good, lieutenant. Return to your station. Dismissed."

Darvil scurried off to return to her duty station, and Tyler fought back the urge to grin. "Apparently, for once, the Force is with me. I suppose delaying the inevitable gives me a few more days in command." Tyler walked slowly over to the nearest holo-console and activated the system, hailing the _Chimaera_. "Commander, _Indestructible_ for Vice Admiral Thrawn."

The holo-projector suddenly flickered to life, and the large, imposing figure of a decorated fleet officer with dark blue skin and red eyes loomed large over Tyler. "Captain Tyler. It appears I will not be inspecting your vessel today. Pity."

Tyler kept his focus on the looming figure of Thrawn, trying very hard not to visibly shake. "Admiral Thrawn, as you requested, I am contacting you regarding my orders."

"Yes, your orders. Lord Vader himself has sent word that he is sending an emissary to Jedha to conduct an investigation into a matter of Imperial security. I am ordering you to provide any assistance this emissary will require." The hologram of Thrawn seemed to look down at Tyler as if he were an insect. "The outcome of this investigation may well have consequences as regards your command, and your career. Do not disappoint me again, Captain."

The connection was cut, and the hologram vanished. Tyler choked down a breath, nearly audibly, as he attempted to calm himself. It was small wonder that Vice Admiral Thrawn was as highly placed an officer as he was; for a non-human to be in a position of such authority was nearly unheard of in the Empire. It spoke volumes about Thrawn's ability as a commander, and Tyler rightly feared Thrawn.

Tyler mopped his brow lightly with the handkerchief he kept tucked in his tunic. "I can only imagine what sort of monster Darth Vader would send to do his bidding," he muttered, hoping no one heard him.

All seemed in order as Somina and Enuma ran over the preflight checklist, as they prepared to depart Mon Cala. Enuma had said a tearful goodbye to her new friend, the Wookiee Liakykam, and it was made quite clear that Liak did not want her new friend to leave. Somina could only grin; such things were a part of normal life, and it almost seemed to her that she had something resembling a normal life. Almost, of course, until she reminded herself that hers was most definitely _not_ a normal life. That sobering reminder, however, could wait. Somina needed to keep her wits about her as she prepared to visit a world about which she knew little. Staying focused on her mission, on the things that really mattered, would be more beneficial than thinking about Vader.

It felt almost like a stab through the heart, every time she would think about the man she'd lost her heart to, so long ago. To remember him then, and to see him now; it just wasn't the same person. Yet, it was, and she could feel it through the Force. Vader felt odd to her, however. Anakin was there, however faint the traces of who he had been were, but there was more at play; a darker, more cloudy presence that she simply couldn't understand. It felt as if there were some sort of wall, or barrier, between her and Anakin, and all she could sense of Anakin was what managed to find a way through that barrier.

It was nonsensical thought, and Somina dismissed it quickly. Anakin was Vader now, and the man he'd been was lost. Besides, though she cared for Skywalker, she didn't feel for him what she felt for Enuma. There just was no room in Somina's heart for anyone but the carefree Twi'lek. Enuma had the strangest gift, one that always seemed to have the Twi'lek smiling lovingly at Somina each and every time Somina would turn her head to look at Enuma. Enuma, in fact, was already smiling at her even then, as she turned to engage the main engines.

Somina smiled back at her love, and winked slyly. "Are you ready for a little more heat and a lot less water?"

Enuma's grin was wider than should have been physically possible. "Wherever I go with my beloved is where I wish to be!"

Somina fired up the primary thrusters, and the _Two-Hearts_ lifted off the platform. The main engines roared to life, and the ship fired off into the blue. Not far away, Gial Ackbar, Me Cunx and Liakykam waved as the ship disappeared into the sky.

Ackbar turned to Liak, inquisitively. "Do you think that Enuma is, you know, available?"

Liak roared, then murmured.

Ackbar, a look of surprise on his face, laughed. "Oh! Explains a lot. How'd I miss that one?


	5. Chapter 5

The _Executor_ came out of hyperspace just outside of the interdiction zone, the area around Coruscant protected by a field that prevented ships from jumping in and out of hyperspace. The Emperor enjoyed having every defense possible around his capital, even from his own ships. Some would even say that it was especially because of his own ships that the interdiction fields were in place. Many accused the Emperor of excessive paranoia, but none _ever_ did so openly.

The _Executor_ slid gracefully into orbit around Coruscant, the bustling super-megalopolis glittering and gleaming far beneath it. Transmissions flew constantly between the ship and the space command center on the ground, though in the silence of space, an illusion of calm prevailed. The _Executor_ , the first of its class, was enormous even in comparison to the already-massive Star Destroyers, and even caused an eclipse when it passed directly between the ground and Coruscant's sun. It was, at least at the moment, the most impressive symbol of Imperial rule, and Imperial might.

The _Lambda_ -class shuttle left the hangar bay underneath the enormous vessel and jetted away to the surface. Darth Vader, currently assigned to the Executor, though not technically in command of the vessel, had been recalled to Coruscant to make report to the Emperor himself. Vader took these commands excessively seriously, for though in the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind, he despised Palpatine, he also knew that he dared not defy his master.

Vader was uncertain as to the nature of his compulsion to obey the Emperor's commands, but there were many things that he'd simply just stopped questioning after having been rescued from a most ignominious end on Mustafar. Now, his entire life seemed to be dedicated to finding new and unpleasant ways to intensify his own considerable pain. His suit, the very thing that kept him alive, was an unending source of torment and torture. His own personal residence sat on the very planet where he'd been maimed, incinerated, and left for dead. His beloved wife was long dead, and he was of the belief that his child had perished with her. He'd had so many dreams destroyed in the service of the Sith Lord, and all of those festering wounds gave him greater strength. He'd annihilated many whom he'd at one time called a friend, and the guilt for each death, the look of terror in their eyes as they died like vermin, these things haunted him, and that pain gave him greater strength. The Dark Side was his only companion, ultimately, as he was completely sealed away from the world around him, insulated from anything that would help him remain human. No, he was no man, not any longer. He was fear given shape, pain given physical form, and he would bring death to all that stood in the way of the Empire. All he had left was obedience to the Emperor's will, and the almighty power of the Dark Side of the Force.

The shuttle landed on a heavily-guarded landing pad in the palace complex, and an entire regiment of troops awaited him there. They stood, stone silent, as Vader walked by, afraid to so much as twitch. Six of the Emperor's personal guard, indicated by their distinctive red robes and helmets, surrounded him and stayed in step with him all the way into the Emperor's personal facility. The Sith Lord's acolytes and sycophants all knelt in fear of Vader as he passed. Such was commonplace here, in the seat of Imperial power; one did not speak unless one was spoken to, save for the Emperor himself.

The primary throne room was a massive chamber, with banners bearing the Imperial colors and Sith iconography adorning the walls. Massive stone pillars, said to have been hewn from stone taken from Korriban itself, stood on either side of the large main aisle, which led directly to the throne of the Emperor. A monstrous, black stone construction, the throne seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Upon the throne sat the Emperor himself, the traditional black, hooded robe covering the majority of his face. What could be seen seemed distorted somehow, as if through some unknown device, the man underneath the robe was slowly disintegrating. A dozen of the Imperial Guardsmen stood on either side of the throne, silent and still as death. As they passed into the throne room, the Guardsment escorting Darth Vader took positions on either side of the massive doors that led into the throne room, standing as unmoving as statues upon reaching their position. Vader himself approached the throne briskly, and knelt before the Emperor at a respectful distance.

The wizened face of the Emperor pulled itself into a horrific smile as Vader knelt before him. "Rise, my friend." The voice seemed to echo up from the darkest of pits, one seemingly endless, falling forever into darkness. "Tell me, Lord Vader, what news do you bring?"

Vader rose to his feet, and took four steps closer to the throne. "My master, the testing of the new Super Star Destroyer-class vessel is complete, and everything is in readiness. I am pleased to report that the _Executor_ has surpassed my standards. It will serve the Empire well."

"Good. The time spent…persuading…the various corporations to bring themselves under our protection has yielded satisfactory results. How does the DS-1 platform proceed?"

"The DS-1 platform seems to have fallen behind, my master. There apparently is some sort of problem with the power generators for the primary weapon. I was going to ask your permission, my master, to attend to this matter, and get things back on schedule."

"That will not be necessary, Lord Vader. I have dispatched Moff Tarkin to deal with the problem. I have other matters that you will be attending to. I sense…there is something that troubles you, Lord Vader. Speak."

Vader paused for a moment, silently cursing the lapse in his mental discipline. "As you command, my master. There are reports from the Mon Cala system, reports claiming that there is a pirate vessel armed with a weapon system that sounds disturbingly like the obsolete Project: Starblade. I have reliable information stating that they have at least one capital ship armed with a Starblade unit."

The Emperor leaned forward slightly, his bright yellow eyes seeming to flare up from under the shadow of his hood. The smile he'd previously had vanished, and a snarl of disdain replaced it. "Are you certain of this, Lord Vader?"

Vader, bowing his head slightly, seemed almost contrite. "I am, my master."

The Emperor rose to his feet, far faster than his seemingly-frail body should have been able to move. The snarl grew sharper, and he glared at Vader from upon the raised dais upon which the throne sat. "Then you must make this the first priority. Hunt down this ship, find its commander and bring them before me. I suspect I know who you will find, and I will deal with this traitor to the Empire myself. Go!"

Without a word, Vader turned and departed faster than he'd entered. He knew better than to consume time with formalities once the Emperor had been raised to anger. There were few in the galaxy that Darth Vader feared, but Darth Sidious, known more widely as Emperor Palpatine, was one of those terrible few.

More smoothly than it had since it was stolen from Praxigor VI, the _Two-Hearts_ whirred to a full stop as it dropped out of hyperspace. Somina was well-pleased with the repairs and improvements that Ackbar's Mon Calamari associates had been able to perform on the ship in the short amount of time they'd had to work. Even her command chair seemed to somehow fit her better, though she was fairly certain they hadn't touched it. Enuma had been ecstatic at her newly-simplified tactical and scanner consoles, for even though she'd been more than competent at handling her unexpected new duties, she also felt that there were just too many 'blinky things'.

Darth Somina, Sith apprentice to Darth Vader, smiled at the thought of the silly Twi'lek that had stolen her heart. She knew, with all of the horrible things that had happened over the span of the last ten years, that without Enuma's love, she would be still cowering in a sewage pit, eking out a miserable life surrounded by other miserable people. Then, a life-changing event happened, and the girl who had been Ahsoka Tano became the woman known as Darth Somina. She'd executed several minor gangsters on that day, and maimed Jabba the Hutt's majordomo. More importantly than that, though, was that Enuma had come into her life that day. That simple thing, that one moment in time, had changed her life completely. Now, she was strong, confident, and most of all, loved. She knew, in her heart, that Enuma would be a lifetime companion. Nothing about the Twi'lek had ever disappointed Somina.

It was strange, then, that Somina could not stop thinking about her first love, the one she lost; indeed, the one she never had. After being framed for a terrorist bombing by her friend, Barriss Offee, she'd left the Jedi Order in disgust, having seen the entirety of the Jedi High Council fall upon her like hungry dogs. Of all the Jedi, only Anakin Skywalker had defended her that day. She'd already long since fallen for him, but her heart broke into a thousand pieces as she walked away from the only life she'd ever known, leaving Anakin behind. Shortly after, Anakin had been brought into the service of the Dark Side by the future Emperor. At the time, Somina had thought Anakin's turning to be a failure on her part, and in some ways she still did, though she herself had embraced the Dark Side of the Force as well. She knew all too well the power it could give you.

What she was less clear on was the price it inevitably exacted. Still, with every day that she trained, practiced, and experienced the power of the Dark Side, she felt less and less sorrow for Anakin. After all, it was power he'd wanted, and power he certainly had received. Somina knew all too well that nothing came for free, and she came to the conclusion that Vader's cybernetics and armor were part of that price. Of course, she had to wonder what the price would be when it came her turn to pay.

There just wasn't time to think about such things, as the moon known as Jedha sprawled out beneath them. Somina positioned the ship into a stable orbit, and set Enuma to scan for Imperial ships. Sure enough, on the opposite side of the planet, positioned directly above the city of Jedha, was an Imperial Star Destroyer. Enuma was only able to find the one capital ship, and there did not seem to be any smaller ships around it. Fortune did, in fact, seem to favor the foolish. If she had to stay hidden from one capital ship, it was certainly possible. With luck, and with some clever fast-talking, she hoped to not have to hide.

"Captain Tyler, our scans show that a small cargo vessel seems to have come out of hyperspace and gone into orbit around Jedha from the opposite side of the moon." Jaakib Tyler, commander of the _Indestructible_ , had been waiting for someone, anyone to arrive in the backwater outpost at which he was currently stationed. Vice Admiral Thrawn himself had ordered him to remain where he was, and Tyler knew Thrawn was not one you defied, openly or otherwise. He was told to expect an emissary from Darth Vader, one that he was to assist in their work on Jedha.

"Very good, Lieutenant. Contact that cargo ship, and request their clearance codes. Do not approach them, not yet." Tyler was good at giving the impression of being far more confident than he actually was. In truth, the notion of Darth Vader sending someone to him for his assistance was terrifying. Vader had something of a reputation for being a touch on the strict side, and Tyler suspected that any of Vader's underlings would likely be the same.

"Attention, unidentified cargo vessel. This is the Imperial Star Destroyer _Indestructible_. Please identify and provide your clearance codes." Somina grimaced; so much for staying out of sight.

Somina wasn't sure which of the Imperial codes given to her by Vader was the one she needed to use. If she gave the wrong one, they might not have sufficient time to break orbit and jump into hyperspace before the much larger, much faster, and far more powerful ship was upon them. He hadn't specified any were more useful than any other, but one could never really know. She just had to trust her master…and the Force.

Somina closed her eyes, and transmitted the code that felt the most correct, and hoped it was sufficient.

Silence. For several tense moments, nothing came through from the _Indestructible_. Somina found herself unconsciously holding her breath, and even Enuma made no sound.

"You are cleared, Imperial vessel Alpha-Two-Six. Please rendezvous with us, as the commanding officer wishes to meet with you."

Somina swallowed hard, and Enuma nearly gasped. They'd thought they were home free, but the Star Destroyer wanted them to dock and speak to their commander.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Enuma whimpered.

The _Two-Hearts_ rendezvoused with the _Indestructible_ , as requested. Somina maneuvered the ship underneath the monstrous ship, just under the large docking bay, where a massive clamp waited to take hold of the smaller ship. She skillfully brought her up into the bay, and only a small thump testified to any impact with the clamp. A humming sound could be heard within the command module, a sure sign that the docking bay force field had been activated, and that it was safe to disembark. Somina, with some knowledge of what to do to deal with Imperial forces, threw a black, hooded cloak over herself, pulling the hood over her head, with only her montrals poking out through holes cut in the hood. It seemed to be recognized throughout the Empire that someone in a black, hooded cloak was not to be disrespected; far too many of the Emperor's personal attachés dressed in such a manner.

Somina walked out of the ship with Enuma alongside her, and from all around, Imperial Stormtroopers and officers turned and gawked at the hooded figure and her Twi'lek as they passed. Many of them suppressed the urge to comment, as anyone who would stroll onto a Star Destroyer with such purpose surely wasn't someone you wanted to irritate. Somina's psychological game was on point, and she wasn't about to allow any of these random people seem to disrespect her. After all, she spoke for Darth Vader, and _he_ spoke for the Emperor himself. None of these individuals would want to know what Vader could do if moved to anger.

The blast doors that led to the bridge hissed open, and as Captain Tyler turned around, the hooded figure of Darth Somina approached him. Tyler was slightly taken back; he hadn't expected a non-human to be working directly for Darth Vader. Even less explicable was the young Twi'lek with Vader's alleged envoy; she didn't seem to be carrying weapons of any sort, nor was she wearing a proper uniform. It was all very irregular, but the codes had checked out with ones Admiral Thrawn had provided. Tyler nodded respectfully to the hooded stranger that rapidly strode towards him. She was a Togruta, he noted, which was unusual in and of itself; the Togruta were a very small population that lived on one or two worlds to which they'd been relocated. For one to have reached such a position was quite rare. She also appeared quite annoyed, which worried Tyler considerably. After all, she likely would only have to inform Lord Vader of his lack of cooperation, and then bad things would likely happen. He had to play the diplomatic game better than ever before today, as his life could quite literally be on the line.

"You are the captain of this vessel?" Somina demanded, keeping the hood pulled over her eyes. The captain was a young man, and it was unlikely she'd be recognized, but Imperial Intelligence was industrious and efficient, and even her association with Vader would be of no help if the Emperor was made aware of her existence. Palpatine would recognize her quite easily, and once that happened, she would be fortunate if she had time to run. She knew this whole affair with meeting with the ship's commander was a formality, but she would definitely have preferred to not have set foot on an Imperial ship.

"Yes, Captain Jaakib Tyler of the Imperial Star Destroyer _Indestructible_. Welcome aboard our vessel, madame envoy."

Somina found this formal protocol odd, though she had to assume it was due in no small part to Vader's influence. Tyler had to have been told she was coming; no other explanation made sense. He was young, no doubt not older than thirty or so. He'd had a rapid rise through the ranks, likely from his family's influence, but mediocre performance likely was what got him stationed here, so far from the galactic core. It was a typical story for Imperial officers, so many of them having been carried over from the ranks of the Republic. It made her blood boil to know that someone like Wilhuff Tarkin also benefitted from Republic service. One day, Somina promised herself long ago, she would have a reckoning with Tarkin, but today, she had to deal with someone far below Tarkin on the Imperial ladder of power.

"Captain Tyler, let me get straight to the point." Somina really didn't have to falsify her impatience; she wanted off the _Indestructible_ as quickly as possible. "A vessel has been sighted on multiple occasions using a weapons system that we believe was stolen from Imperial research facilities. I do not need to tell you that the Emperor does not have a favorable view of those who allow his military and scientific secrets to be so easily stolen, especially by what appears to be a band of pirates. Lord Vader has requested that we investigate this system, searching for a scientist that was involved with the stolen project. His name is Naran Chozai, and we are not to leave Jedha without him. That being said, _you_ will not leave Jedha until _I_ leave with him. I suggest you mobilize your forces, Captain, because this operation is on orders from the Emperor himself, and I doubt he would be much pleased if further failures occur. Are we of an understanding, Captain?"

Tyler stood, silent, aghast for a moment. Somina simply stared at the Imperial captain, whose face had gone white as a white dwarf, and twice as dim. She took a moment to drink in his fear, which was a palpable force. Tyler eventually managed to gather together the courage to nod, and squeak out a 'yes ma'am', to which Somina turned and walked back to her ship without a further word. Tyler immediately retreated to his quarters, without a word to anyone who'd seen his emasculation on the bridge of his own vessel.

It was painfully obvious to Captain Tyler that she had, in truth, been sent by Darth Vader, for she was nearly as terrifying as he was.

Somina, on the other hand, had a very difficult time hiding the smile that kept wanting to creep up on her face as she briskly strode back to the _Two-Hearts_. She didn't necessarily enjoy humiliating the officer, but she needed to make certain he was not going to interfere in her business during her stay on Jedha. Now, he knew she was every bit as nasty as Vader, and absolutely willing to inform Vader of his shortcomings. Now, she reasoned, if Tyler was as smart as she thought he was, he would stay far from her dealings.

Now, Somina thought, comes the hard part. The docking claw released the Two-Hearts, and Somina took the ship down to the surface of Jedha, not knowing what adventures were yet to come.


	6. Chapter 6

The air was crisp in the Holy City of NiJedha as Somina and Enuma stepped off of the _Two-Hearts_ and onto the surface of the moon. Above them, the blue-grey sky stretched off into infinity, a crystal-clear sea in the sky. The city bustled with activity, as it always did, with so many packed together into such a tight space. Beyond the ancient walls of the city, there was nothing considerable to speak of but frigid wastelands. Above, only sky, though once in a while, you could see Imperial shuttles coming back and forth from the kyber mines, transporting their cargo to the _Indestructible_ above. The city, though busy, was peaceful, owing in part to the frequent Imperial patrols that passed through the narrow streets. Two more individuals, even ones not human, were hardly noticed here. That was precisely what Somina wanted; the ability to move about without standing out in anyone's mind.

"My goodness, Somina! Such a busy city! It is much like the markets of Nar Shaddaa, though not as flashy and blinky." Enuma's outburst made Somina giggle, just a little.

"It's been this way for a long time, Enuma. Some stories say that the Jedi Order itself began here, and others say the Jedi took their name from this place. I don't know one way or the other, but the city itself is very old. They have been harvesting kyber crystals here since there have been lightsabers."

Enuma slid her hand around Somina's, interlocking their fingers. Somina, startled by the sudden touch, looked down at their joined hands, and smiled. She lifted Enuma's hand, and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry, I'm still...getting used to this."

Enuma's smile was wider than eternity, and brighter than a supernova. "It is alright, beloved. Everything takes its own time, and there is no hurry. I love you even more today than yesterday, and so it will be tomorrow."

Somina, her smile nearly matching Enuma's, gently tightened her grip on Enuma's hand. "I don't understand half of the things you say, but I am glad you're around to say them."

"Beloved, is this where the Temple of the Whills is?"

Somina turned abruptly to face Enuma. "You know about the Temple of the Whills?"

Enuma nodded, her face lighting up at the idea of surprising her love. "I had a dream, when I was a little girl, that I was at the Temple of the Whills. I was taught many things by the wise men that were there. That's why, when I was little, I thought one day I would be a Jedi."

"You wouldn't want to be a Jedi, Enuma," Somina snarled, quite unconsciously. "They are far from what they seem to be."

Enuma, genuinely puzzled at Somina's reaction, looked stunned. "But beloved, I thought you were a Jedi. From the way you moved, your skill in the Force, I thought…"

Somina cut her off abruptly, giving the young Twi'lek pause. "I am no Jedi. I was…once. But that was a long time ago."

Enuma clutched Somina's hand tightly. Somina could see the confusion and sadness in Enuma's eyes, reflecting the pain in her own, pain that had been dragged to the surface once more. She could not escape the grip of the Jedi Order, no matter what she did.

Enuma leaned her head onto Somina's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "Why did you leave?"

Somina could feel a wave of fresh anger start to well up from deep within her. The one thing Somina did not want to discuss, the one secret she wanted to keep locked away for all time, was now the only thing Enuma wanted to know. The betrayal, even after so many years, was just as painful as it had been on the day Tarkin had her up on charges, the day the Jedi Order had just handed her over to Tarkin's tender mercies, without so much as trying to defend her, or support her.

They'd all turned their backs on her, save for Anakin. And he…well, he didn't _feel_ the same to her any more. It was like he just wasn't the same _person_ any more. No, Somina was very much on her own; at least, she was, before Enuma came into her life. The Twi'lek's mere presence had taken what was barely an existence, and made it into a real life, something neither of them had ever had. Now, they wandered the galaxy, always together, and for this, Somina would always be grateful. It was this very gratitude that wouldn't let Somina hide the truth from Enuma any longer. She had the right to know.

"The Jedi betrayed me, Enuma. I was once an apprentice to a Jedi Knight named Anakin Skywalker. We'd seen many adventures together, he and I, and we'd always had each other's backs. Towards the end of the Clone Wars, though, someone had set off a bomb in the Jedi Temple, killing several innocent people. The mastermind behind this attack chose to make it appear that I was the one who'd planned the attack all along."

Enuma's eyes, already large, widened even more at this revelation. "That is not possible! Who would try and make you seem like some sort of monster?" she asked, horrified.

"A friend. Her name was Barriss Offee. She had grown concerned that the Jedi had become little more than tools of a warlike Republic, and she chose to make a statement in the most brutal fashion possible; killing innocent people." Somina's voice shook, the horrors of this part of her life surging through her mind for the first time in years. "She used our friendship to set things up to look like I had committed the crime, and the Senate had me on charges of sedition. I was to be executed…"

For the first time since Somina had known her, Enuma seemed genuinely angry. She practically bared her teeth at the idea of Somina being executed. "Liars! Liars will always try to condemn innocent people falsely! I hope that the Senate had punished her for such a thing!"

Somina's eyes fell to the ground, staying well out of Enuma's gaze. "They did…but that's not all that happened." Somina felt a tear fall from her eye, and did nothing to hide it. "The Jedi Order took their orders like the good little soldiers that they were, for once then-Admiral Tarkin demanded I be expelled from the Jedi Order and handed over to the Senate, the Jedi did just that. They didn't try to defend me, or support me. They just handed me over, no questions asked."

Enuma's rage seemed to start to boil over. "I would KILL them for such things! Why? Why would these people you had committed your life to betray you so? If this is the sort of people the Jedi were, then they deserved to be wiped out!"

Somina, still unable to look Enuma in the eye, continued. "They _were_ wiped out. Agents of the Empire spent years rooting them out, and exterminating them. All but a small few were slaughtered by the Emperor's Inquisitors…and Darth Vader."

At the sound of Vader's name, Enuma released Somina's hand. She seemed utterly shocked at what she was hearing. "But, beloved…your master…he hunted the Jedi as well?"

"Yes. He served the Emperor directly. He was apprentice to Palpatine, just as I am apprentice to him. So, in a way, I too am an agent of the Empire." Somina shook her head sadly. "I never really thought about it like that."

"The Emperor is Sith?" Enuma asked, seemingly starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Yes. As is my master; as I am as well."

"You have accomplished much for being only three people."

Somina laughed, a laugh devoid of mirth, but starting to be tinged with self-loathing. "The Empire? They made that without me. That was all the Emperor's doing."

"Some people think the Empire is evil, beloved, but yet you serve it. Does that mean the Sith are evil?"

Somina raised her head once more, conviction welling up within her. "No. At least, I'm not. I don't think we are, no. We just embrace who we are, and our passions, instead of pushing them aside, repressing them as the Jedi did. The Jedi are gone, and we survive. I guess we know who was right, right?"

Somina was smiling, but she didn't feel happy. She'd never really confronted her feelings for the Jedi, and the depth of her anger and hatred surprised her. She'd been so swept up in the whirlwind of emotion surrounding her joining the ranks of the Sith that she'd failed to understand one very important element; regardless of what Vader's ultimate plans were, she was an agent of the Empire, every bit as much as he was. She had come and gone from an Imperial Star Destroyer without incident, and she took pride in verbally castrating the young captain of the vessel. What still escaped her, though, was the ultimate meaning of it all. She had been Jedi, and taught to eschew the Dark Side of the Force. Then she became Sith, and decried the Light. Such polarization seemed overly complicated to her, but it seemed to be the way the universe, and the Force itself, worked.

That being so, Somina knew that she'd rather work for the Emperor keeping the peace than sitting in a meditation chamber for ninety cycles only to stab her friends in the back. She hated the Jedi for what they had done, but _not_ for what she had become. She made the choice to embrace the Dark Side, and she would not let anyone take that from her.

As for Enuma, the Twi'lek's passions ran deep and powerful, and Somina knew that she could be quite a force to contend with in the future. She only hoped that she would be able to properly train Enuma, rather than the intermittent lessons taught during hyperspace jumps and downtime. Improperly trained, someone could become quite terrifying with the power of the Dark Side running through them, unchecked.

But could Somina teach her the ways of the Sith while still letting Enuma be herself? What would become of that beguiling innocence? Somina had never been like that, even as a youngling, and she saw Enuma's innocence as being the hope that one day she herself could look at the universe as Enuma did. Enuma looked at the stars above, and dreamed of romance and adventure. Somina only saw balls of combusting gases. They complimented one another well, and Somina wasn't sure that she was terribly keen on Enuma changing.

Perhaps Enuma wouldn't change. Perhaps she wouldn't need to. Somina, however, had changed quite a bit. She'd had to; from first running from the Empire, and then working for them, however indirectly, all these things had made her a different person than she'd been at the Jedi Temple.

Somina shook her head silently. She would not force anything on Enuma. Enuma would choose her own path in life. Somina had never had that option; she would be damned if she was going be the one to deprive Enuma of it.

Enuma's smooth hand running down Somina's cheek brought her out of her reverie, and back into the deep pools that were Enuma's eyes. Enuma had the slightest of smiles, and Somina was sure it was only for her benefit, but it was there. " _We_ were right, beloved. We always have been."

Just then, a horrid gurgling sound could be heard, and Enuma, surprised, shot her gaze downwards. She looked back up at Somina, an embarrassed smile on her face. "It seems in the excitement I forgot to eat. My tummy is angry!"

Somina, realizing that it had been days since she'd eaten, knew that regardless of the sustaining power of the Force, she would also eventually need to eat. "You know, I could go for a little something as well." Somina stopped for a moment, and looked around. She closed her eyes, and reached out with the Force into the city around her. She could see people milling around, converging on a couple particular places. She sniffed gently; letting the scents of a thousand thousand different substances filter through her mind, until she found what looked to be a place where food could be purchased. She smiled at Enuma. "This way, love."

Sure enough, in a little corner of the city, a small Corellian restaurant stood, fairly well packed with hungry customers. Somina, hand-in-hand with Enuma, walked into the small establishment, where a few people turned to look at them, then turned away, uninterested. No one seemed to give them a second thought, to the extent that Enuma wondered if it weren't due to some working on Somina's part. In truth, no one really cared, as they were just two more in from the cold.

Not every eye was uninterested in the pair that walked in, however. From a far corner of the restaurant, someone watched the Togruta and her Twi'lek companion _very_ intently. He kept silent, and kept out of sight, but he knew there was something unusual about these two. They would bear watching, for now.

Somina and Enuma sat down at a table towards the far wall, where they could keep an eye on the door that led in. Somina didn't expect any trouble, but she would be remiss if she didn't _prepare_ for trouble. Enuma picked up a filthy scrap of cardboard that, upon closer inspection, turned out to be the menu for the establishment. She wrinkled her nose up in disgust, though she kept her reaction to a minimum. Dirty as the place was, it was still a thousand percent better than a Hutt slave pit. Or worse, a Hutt's bedchamber…

The stranger in the opposite corner, who watched them so intently, quickly pulled a data pad from a satchel he had sitting beneath his table. Running a quick scan of the area revealed little as regards the newcomers; it only stated that one was Togruta and one was Twi'lek. He _did_ , however, find it interesting that one had two lightsabers strapped to her belt. Either she was a Jedi on the run, or he was going to have to move soon. A fugitive Jedi held no issue for him, but an Imperial Inquisitor? That was dangerous, and he would need to disappear quickly. He would continue to watch, and wait.

After Somina and Enuma had settled in to their seats, a broken-down and ramshackle droid ambled up to their table. The poor thing looked like it had been cobbled together from parts from a dozen different droids. It seemed to function fine, however, as its speech was clear and even. "Welcome to Aerena's! It's a fine day today, don't you think? How may I serve you today?"

Somina and Enuma looked blankly at the horrifically chipper droid, blinking only occasionally. They turned to each other and began to laugh. The droid, of course, seemed nonplussed. "I apologize, but did I do something funny? I don't mind being entertaining, but I generally prefer to do it intentionally."

Somina, trying not to tear up from laughter, calmed herself enough to get a response out. "No, not at all. It's just…we didn't expect such…enthusiasm."

If the droid could have smiled, it likely would have been doing so at that moment. "I am programmed to assist all of the establishment's customers in having a better day, ma'am. My primary function is improving your time on Jedha, and I am more than happy to do so. Now, would you like to begin with drinks? I am programmed to correctly mix over 250,000 drinks that are not considered toxic to your respective species."

Enuma, enjoying the droid's chatter far more than she should, spoke up quite loudly. "Oh! Oh! I know! Could you make us two Double-Dip Outer Rim Rumdrops?" she asked, excitedly. "I have always wanted to try one of those!"

"I will mix those flawlessly in just moments!" the droid responded, almost with a sense of pride. "L7-M7 is on the job!" The droid scuttled away, humming some unknown tune to itself as it vanished into the back of the restaurant.

"What's a 'Double-Dip Outer Rim Rumdrop'?" Somina asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I do not know," Enuma quipped. "I heard one of my previous masters request it many times when I was kept on Nar Shaddaa. It must have been quite good, as he had them frequently."

Somina crinkled her brow. "Then why would you want to have one?"

Enuma smiled, the kind of smile that lit up a room. "Because I am now my own master and I will be treated as such."

If Somina _could_ have fallen deeper in love with the Twi'lek, she surely would have in that moment. She was utterly incapable of understanding why it was that the Jedi would forbid their adherents to experience a feeling like this. It was her love for Enuma that got her to rise every morning, and lay down to sleep every night. Her very understanding of life itself had changed because of that love, and even her dealings with the Force had changed.

L7-M7 tottered back to their table, with two large glass vessels containing an odd, greenish fluid. A strange, blue-green vapor seemed to rise from the liquid, and the scent of ozone in the air around them seemed unusually strong. "Two Double-Dip Outer Rim Rumdrops, just like you get in the Cularin system! Please enjoy, and let me know if there is anything else you need!" The droid scuttled off once again, and both of the ladies stared at it as it made its way over to another table.

Somina looked at the drink as if it were bantha fodder. "People _drink_ this? It looks like something you'd use to get mynocks off of your hull!"

Enuma, her smile still brilliant, winked at Somina. "I never said my masters were _smart_ people. Perhaps there are better ways I can feel like a boss. Do you not agree, beloved?"

"What the hell is this anyway?" Somina couldn't look away, like she was watching a starfighter crash into a rogue asteroid.

Enuma shrugged. "I have always believed it was better to not ask such questions."

Somina laughed, but her laugh was tinged with nervousness. Something didn't feel right here, and she wasn't sure what it was. This place was not immersed in the influence of the Jedi as it had been before, but she would have expected some sort of residual impressions left behind by the ancient masters. She felt none of this at all. She could sense there were those not as skilled as she in the use of the Force nearby, but she could not discern who they were. They were clearly neither Jedi nor Sith, for the ripples they left in the Force were barely detectible. She'd heard, long ago, about those not as strong in the Force that would serve at Jedi temples as protectors, but she wouldn't expect them to remain here. Nevertheless, there were these lesser Force-sensitive people present, and they nipped at the edge of her perceptions.

There was something else, though, and it was far more troubling. A dark presence, not a Sith or anything like one, but still potent in its own way, and immersed in the Dark Side. She'd never sensed anything like it before, in all her adventures and tribulations. Even more chilling, the presence seemed to be aware of her, as if it were watching her. It was near, within a range of half a kilometer or less, and it seemed genuinely interested in the visitor which also seemed to be a creature of the Dark Side. She could not discern its intent towards her and Enuma; only that it watched.

Somina found herself scanning the room unconsciously, a remnant of the days when she lived on Praxigor. There were no places she could go there where she felt completely safe, even in her own ramshackle home. Anywhere she went, she always found herself casing the place, making sure she both knew where all access points were, and knew precisely where everyone she could sense was. She'd not sensed the dark presence when they first arrived, so either it wasn't there before…

Or it wanted her to know it was there now.

Shaking the ominous sensation off for the moment, Somina gingerly pushed the glass aside and fanned the noxious fumes away from her face. "Now, we need to figure out of this guy Chozai is even here, and if so, where he is. I don't have any contacts here, so we're kind of at a dead end. Where do you think would be best to start?"

Enuma held her glass closer to her face, in what seemed to be an earnest attempt to drink the foul-looking beverage. Real fear was in her eyes as she brought the liquid to her lips, and took a sip. She sat utterly still for a moment, and then a smile of real pleasure crossed her face. "It tastes far better than it looks, beloved." Enuma sat her glass down and lowered her head slightly. "I am no investigator, but I would think a place like this would be the best place to start. Everyone must eat, yes? Perhaps L7-M7 might know something, or if not, her master might."

Somina seemed genuinely impressed. "Your instincts serve you well, Enuma! I hadn't thought about that." Somina raised a hand, gesturing towards herself with a couple fingers.

Sure enough, within seconds, the whirr and clank of L7-M7 could be heard approaching their table. The droid stopped near them, and tilted its head at Somina. "Yes, ma'am? How can I be of service?"

"I was wondering if I could maybe get some information from you, L7-M7. I 'm looking for an Imperial scientist named Naran Chozai. He might have come here within the last few months. We're trying to contact him regarding a project he worked on."

"Ah, yes, the professor! I am familiar with him, yes, ma'am. He has a small laboratory nearby, or so he has told me on occasion. I believe it is a few blocks over, on the seventh street, number sixteen. As I recall, we delivered a meal to him there once. He has been quite busy lately, as we haven't seen him in the restaurant much at all. I do certainly hope I have been helpful. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Enuma, obviously excited, started almost bouncing in her seat. "We'd like two orders of Blasteroids!"

L7-M7 nodded its understanding. "Ours our very spicy, not the weak versions other places will give you. Is that alright?"

Enuma nodded vigorously. "I want it as spicy as they come, yes please!" She turned briefly to smile at Somina. "I want it to be as hot as she is."

Somina couldn't repress the embarrassed giggle, and as the droid tottered away into the kitchen, she took a moment to scan the room once more. The presence, that dark presence she'd felt a moment ago, had vanished. Sure enough, in a far corner of the room, a table sat empty, with a small pile of credits left behind alongside a half-eaten sandwich.

Somina and Enuma spent a little time enjoying their meal, though the Blasteroids were every bit as spicy as L7-M7 had said. Somina couldn't believe food could be so different from what she'd known; it had always been merely for the sake of survival, and never for enjoyment. The cuisine she'd always known had been bland, intended to satisfy nutritional needs, and nothing else. It was devoid of sensual pleasures, just like every other facet of Jedi life. Once again, Enuma had introduced her to something that she'd never known, that had been kept from her without consent, and she found herself enjoying it thoroughly. What other pleasures awaited her in this new life?

After polishing off their meal, and finally downing the last of the Rumdrops, the two women left the restaurant as uneventfully as they'd come, though L7-M7 did manage to say farewells and wave to them as they departed. Such enthusiasm was unusual in Somina's life, or at least it had been until Enuma came into it. Now, even one as pessimistic as Somina had become much more positive about life and what was yet to come. Her time as a miserable Jedi was at an end, and she reveled in her new Sith existence.

At least, she reveled as much as she could with the specter of Darth Vader looming over her. She knew that ultimately, he held her leash, but as yet he hadn't tugged on it unnecessarily. Would that persist, or would he become more demanding? She didn't know, and the future was something she'd never had any ability to perceive. She lived in the moment, even as a Jedi, and would deal with the future when it became the present. The only thing she knew for sure was that if there was anything left of Anakin Skywalker in Vader, it was deeply buried. She had to deal with Vader _as_ Vader; it was the only way she could survive.

They walked out of the restaurant, hand-in-hand as before, but this time, something had changed. Eyes were on them from all directions. Not the people they passed on the street; these eyes were obscured from sight, hidden from all but the keenest senses. She wasn't certain of what it could be, though it didn't feel the same as the dark presence she'd sensed in the restaurant. It just felt…off…somehow. It was as if something fundamental was out of balance, and it was crying out to anyone who could hear. The people that passed them were indifferent enough, with the occasional friendly face, but just past what she could see, there was something else, something troubling.

Arriving at the location the droid had given them, Somina and Enuma pressed a small button next to the front door. They hadn't been sent to execute Chozai, after all, only investigate and arrest. The way Somina looked at it, there was no reason they couldn't be civil about this; after all, she found it unlikely that any scientist would be a match for a Sith apprentice. Sith apprentices killed Jedi Masters, or so tales had told.

There was no response from the small building or its alleged occupants, but Somina held her ground. Soon enough, the door slid open with a wheezy hiss, and before them stood something utterly unexpected. A huge Trandoshan, green scales glimmering in the sunlight, stood in the doorway, an extremely irritated expression adorning its reptilian face. The Trandoshan snarled at the two women. "What? What do you want?"

Somina, freezing up for a microsecond, extended her hand, as if to offer a handshake. "Dar Somina, from the University. I was hoping to speak to Naran Chozai…"

"Naran seesssss no one! Leave!" The Trandoshan turned to walk back into the building, very much done with that conversation. The door slid shut with the same noise, and the two were left alone on the stoop once more.

Enuma shrugged, not sure how to proceed. Somina, expecting that the easy way wouldn't work, turned and bade Enuma follow her. They hadn't gotten two steps away when the door slid open again, this time a extremely tall, slender figure emerged. The entity was of no species that either of them recognized; its spindly limbs reminding Enuma very much of a spider, enough to give her chills. It's slender body was clad in a dark tunic, and its head, what could be seen of it through what appeared to be a breathing apparatus, appeared almost reptilian, though extremely unsettling. Somina was put ill at ease by the very appearance of the creature. A raspy, electronic voice emanated from the breathing unit. "Wait, please. You must forgive Klaak, he is less than graceful in social situations. He is, however, an excellent bodyguard. I am Naran Chozai. Please, enter, I have not entertained for some time."

Somina turned to Enuma, who looked terrified. Enuma returned the look, as if to say 'let's just leave', but Somina had a job to do. Somina, pulling Enuma by the hand, walked into the building, and the door slid shut as they passed the unnerving professor. They walked into a decent-sized room, where various cushions and stools sat scattered around a large metal rack of some sort. Naran gestured for them to sit, and as he did so, he climbed onto the metal rack with an almost preternatural grace. It apparently was a sort of perch, as the scientist settled onto the top of the rack with near-perfect balance. "So infrequently do I receive visitors, much less unexpected ones, but please do feel welcome."

Somina settled uneasily on one of the taller stools, and turned to face Naran. "I'm not familiar with your species, Doctor Chozai."

"Naran, please. I am Valtarran. We were only recently brought into the Imperial fold. It was through mutual dealings with the…what is your word? The Hutts. I am sorry if I am hard to understand. My species usually communicates through pheromones. I am the first to learn your languages."

Enuma smiled at the creature, trying very hard not to seem put off by the very alien scientist. "You speak very well, Naran!"

"I thank you." The voice that came from the unit worn on his head, apparently a vocalizer, was just as unsettling as the scientist itself. It reminded Somina of a similar voice, one that also put her on edge, but for a very different reason. "Please forgive me, but I must ask; why are you here?"

Somina, not moving from her spot, looked directly at the scientist, into eyes that appeared to be compound eyes. A thin membrane slid over the eyes from above and below them every once in a while, making it appear even more alien that it already did. "Project Starblade."

"Ah. I should have guessed. It is a popular topic among my visitors. I have said before, I do not know anything about the dispensation of the project. I left the University quite some time ago, and I have been working on kyber crystal research here ever since. I was told that someone had stolen the schematics and materials, but I did not do this. I have hired Klaak since the last time Imperial agents came to call, because I am worried for my safety. Had I known I would spend this hatching running from military agents, I would have never left the nest-world."

"Do you know who might have an interest in the project, Naran?" Somina needed answers.

"All I can tell you is that there was one of the Hutts, Garratha Talddmurdop. He had asked many times to buy a copy of the schematics, but I refused him." Naran was starting to sound irritated, if that was at all possible.

"But you didn't."

"No," the scientist replied. "I did not. Garratha was a violent psychotic, and I did not feel that it would be beneficial for the galaxy at large for someone like that to possess technology that could become a horrific weapon."

Enuma asked the obvious question. "Where can we find Garratha?"

Naran made an unnatural chittering sound, like demonic crickets chirping. "The last time I had dealings with Garratha was at his estate on Nal Hutta. I would be cautious there, though. The Hutts don't take kindly to unauthorized Imperial visits. But if he is anywhere, it would be there."

Somina stood, and Enuma followed suit. "Thank you, Naran. We will follow up on this. We appreciate your help."

For the briefest flash of a second, Somina felt that dark presence again, the one she'd felt a couple times prior. The creature was looking directly at her as she felt it, though his demeanor seemed pleasant enough. "You are most welcome. Klaak will show you out."

The Trandoshan essentially shoved them out the door, shutting it immediately after they were clear of the door's path. Somina took Enuma's hand, and led her further down the street without saying a word. Once they were a few blocks away, Somina stopped, turning to face Enuma.

"There's something…not right about that…individual."

Enuma nodded her agreement. "He made me nervous from the beginning, but as we left…"

"Yeah. I felt it too. For just a second, a flash of intense Dark Side power. We're going to have to check a little deeper into…that…but I want to follow up with the Hutt first."

"Why the Hutt first?"

"Because, my love, the Hutt scares me less."

Somina and Enuma walked off into the bustle of the city, but not far behind them, the dark presence loomed, watching their every step until they'd left the moon. It stood among the crowd, though none could perceive it. It knew they would return, because they would not be able to resist the pull. Darkness seeks darkness, and one day, they would have a reckoning.


	7. Chapter 7

Aboard the _Executor_ , Darth Vader rested in his meditation chamber, one of the very few places where he could find any sort of respite. His helmet could be removed here, and even if for a few brief moments, he could feel relief from the oppressive and claustrophobic isolation his suit forced upon him. His nerves heavily damaged from the blaze on Mustafar so long ago, he could not truly feel the cool of the air upon his skin, but his memory was keen, and he could remember how it felt. Ultimately, all Vader truly had were memories, memories of a person he’d once known; a person named Anakin Skywalker, a person he murdered.

His thoughts drifted, as they often did during the few times he could find rest. He found himself in some of Anakin’s memories, during his time as a Jedi Knight. Ahsoka was at his side, just as she always was, and they traded verbal quips. Anakin had found this banter endlessly amusing; Darth Vader found it significantly less so. He did, however, find his apprentice’s new skills useful, even if she was still something of a loose cannon. Somina had taken quite well to the ways of the Sith, as he’d known she would. He still could not, in fact would not, bring himself to praise her performance, however, for ultimately her purpose would not truly be fulfilled until the Emperor was no more.

It was strange, in truth, how every time he thought of treachery, every impulse he had to defy the Emperor’s will, was so easily dismissed. He felt no particular love for the Emperor, to be sure; the very reason he’d defended Palpatine in the first place, saving Padme’s life, had failed. Nevertheless, he had chosen his path, and that path was the one that led to power. He could no more turn away from it than he could go back to the Jedi. He’d made that committment with the first Jedi youngling to meet their end at his blade.

He knew, ultimately, that for his survival to be assured, he had no alternative but to rise up and destroy his master. It was the way of the Sith, the way of the Rule of Two, instituted centuries past. He also knew that he would not be able to accomplish it alone. With his body ravaged by Mustafar's flame, his connection to the Living Force was greatly diminished, and his power was less than it had been before Kenobi's betrayal. He was still a terrifying force, one that was not to be taken lightly, but he knew in the final analysis he lacked the total connection to the Force, the raw power needed, to overcome Palpatine on his own. Thus, he needed help, though he would never admit to it.

Somina, in many ways, reminded him of himself as a young man. She was younger than he, and reveled in her own power as he had, once. Somina also had someone that affected her as Padme had once affected him. The Twi'lek Enuma, as immature and whimsical as she seemed, instilled his apprentice with great passion, passion Somina had learned to use to great effect in her skills as a Sith apprentice. There was something else about the young Twi'lek, however, that struck an unexpected chord; she was Force-sensitive.

Though he had not informed Somina of such, he'd sensed the Twi'lek's abilities long before Somina had become close to the girl. He needed to test her loyalty to him, to the Sith, and to her mission, and make certain that she would not betray him herself. If she did, in fact, know about the Twi'lek's Force-sensitivity, she had made no effort to inform him, and he didn't sense duplicity in her when they communicated. Hiding one's true thoughts and feelings was not uncommon, but it was rare that someone could so completely fool Darth Vader. If Somina did not know about the Twi'lek's potential, then she could be used as potential future leverage. If Somina could not be controlled by traditional means, perhaps she would be controlled by her attachment to the girl....

Still, Vader's tactical acumen hadn't diminished since his time in the Jedi Order; if anything, it had been sharpened by years of conflict, putting out the fires of rebellion where they would spring up. He was nothing if not prepared for contingencies. Though he'd put much faith in Somina, more than perhaps she deserved, he was more than prepared for treachery. Darth Vader was Sith to the core, but he failed to see the necessity of the Rule of Two. In truth, there was more than one apprentice.

The primary module of his helmet descended from the top of the meditation chamber, interlocking with the seals and connectors on the plate mounted on the neckpiece with a hiss. The horrifying brightness of his optical sensors coming back online no longer elicited a reaction from him, but it was still painful in the extreme. There was precious little that wasn't horribly painful for him, which only fueled his connection to the Dark Side of the Force. Another armature lowered the outer shielding of the helmet, the armored piece that protected the delicate components of his helmet, and that slid into place with a quiet thump. The armatures pulled away from Vader, who then had his chair rotate to face the viewscreen on the opposite side of the chamber.

Static lit up the screen for a moment, and then an image emerged from the chaos. A slender figure, clad in dark, form-fitting clothing, with a strange black mask concealing their face, a mask vaguely reminiscent of ancient Sith helmets, as were described to Vader by his master. The figure was clearly female, though there was no indication of their identity, as every square inch of their body was covered either by armor or by black leather. She stood silent, awaiting Vader's words.

“Report, apprentice.”

“Darth Somina has made contact with Naran Chozai on Jedha, my lord. As far as I have been able to observe, she has followed your orders to the letter.” The female on the screen spoke with a thick, unusual accent, but the most notable trait of her speech was the obvious disdain with which she spoke. It was as if she found the current topic supremely distasteful, but would obey her master's wishes without question.

“Your thoughts betray you, Zathara. You hunger for battle, and yet Darth Somina is not our enemy. No, you will continue to monitor her, and so long as she obeys me, she is to be left to her work. She is still an asset, and as long as she obeys her orders, she will remain so. You will not interrupt her work, am I clear?” Vader's voice seemed colder than usual, as he addressed the seething agent of his will.

“So long as she obeys, I will only observe. If there is any indication of betrayal, though...”

“You will do what is necessary. Return to your duties, Zathara.”

The female bowed deeply. “As my lord commands.” The signal was cut off immediately after that, and Vader let his head slump forward slightly. His ability to move within the suit was so incredibly limited that there was no real position in which he could be comfortable, so he allowed himself the occasional poor posture if it allowed him to hold his own head up when it was necessary.

Darth Vader hadn't known sleep for weeks, though on the exceedingly rare occasions when he did, only blackest nightmares awaited him, and not blissful rest. He was tired, tired in a way that he couldn't imagine anyone knowing but him, and dealing with Zathara's short fuse wasn't helping matters much, but he had to ensure Somina's loyalty. Trust was just something he wasn't capable of anymore, and he knew that Zathara practically begged for the opportunity to strike out at Somina, if the situation called for it. She was unpleasant in the extreme, but she had proven a good investment, and a wise acquisition. In what remained of his heart, he truly hoped he would not have to utilize Zathara's zeal, but it was better that he had it at the ready, rather than be unprepared in the face of betrayal.

Half a galaxy away, on a small ship orbiting around the swampy world of Nal Hutta, the assassin known as Zathara tried very hard not to puncture the palms of her hands with her fingernails, so tightly clenched were her fists. Vader had given her a chance to prove herself, and a chance to finally have a shot at finally settling old business, and though she was grateful for what she had, she felt she deserved so much more. It was of little importance to her that Darth Vader had acquired another fallen Jedi, regardless of the notoriety of said Jedi. She cared little for Anakin Skywalker, and cared even less for his apprentice. It was actually quite simple in Zathara's mind; when Vader gave her the order, she would dispose of the Togruta in as slow and painful a means as possible. She deserved no less, and Zathara desired no less.

The transmission from Vader had ended moments ago, but Zathara had stood for a moment after, letting the crashing waves of rage give her strength, as they always did. Once the torrent of emotion receded, Zathara collapsed into the nearest seat, the metal supports of the seat groaning slightly under her falling into it. She reached up and took hold of the sides of her mask, detaching the fasteners that held it in place, cocooning her head within. The mask and helmet came apart in two places, and she dropped them to the floor. She despised the mask, but Vader felt anonymity benefitted them both more for the moment, though Zathara fully intended to reveal her face to Somina once the time came to execute her. How she longed for that day, and nothing could possibly satisfy her until then. Not the long string of lovers she'd taken, not the mind-numbing drugs she'd consumed to help her forget, and certainly not Darth Vader's sadistic training, could possibly take the place of the nightmare she intended to inflict on the former Ahsoka Tano. She leaned her head forward, letting the sweaty, dirty locks of her dark blue-green hair fall forward, obscuring her face from the faint light of the bridge. No, she was not ready to reveal herself just yet, for her only loyalty in the galaxy was to Darth Vader, and that only because he had seared the lesson of obedience into her at the point of a lightsaber.

She knew, though, that the day _would_ come, and woe betide the erstwhile apprentice. She would have to wait for now. She loathed waiting, but it was better than having Somina be ordered to hunt _her_ instead.

“Fuck up, Ahsoka. When you do, I'll be there.” Zathara laughed loudly, her bellow echoing throughout the ship.

 


	8. Chapter 8

            The _Two-Hearts_ slid gently into orbit around Nal Hutta without incident.  Darth Somina, apprentice to Darth Vader, looked over the sensor readouts that even now streamed gouts of information about the planet below.  Nal Hutta was, as came as no surprise to Somina, a marshy world of dank swamps and massive lagoons.  The few areas of truly solid ground were, again as no surprise, almost completely owned by the Hutt clans.  Truth be told, very little on Nal Hutta wasn’t owned by the Hutt clans, and that applied just as well to its inhabitants.  If you weren’t a Hutt, you were property, and that was the one hard and fast rule about life on Nal Hutta.  Somina had seen it on Praxigor, living in the shadow of the Hutts’ massive towers and floating casinos; naught but a toxic swamp to call home, and even that was owned by the Hutts.

            It was the unadulterated greed of the Hutt clans that had set Somina on the path she now walked, the road of the Dark Side, but she felt no gratitude to the slimy beasts.  Indeed, her revulsion and loathing for the creatures only grew when she saw the depths to which the Hutts, and their functionaries, were willing to go to turn a profit.  It was precisely those vile tendencies that had led to Enuma becoming a slave, and for that, Somina would never forgive them.  Even the ‘hospitality’ that had been shown her by Jabba Desilijic Tiure, arguably the most powerful Hutt in the galaxy, wasn’t enough to cool her need for vengeance.  Now that she had turned on Jabba, and he had put a substantial contract on her life, it was nothing short of war between Darth Somina and the Hutt clans.

            Darth Somina did not lose wars.  She might have walked away from one, once, but she never lost them.  She would not relent until Jabba Desilijic Tiure and his grotesque clansmen were nothing more than scorched blubber and greasy ash, left to sputter and sizzle in the wake of her righteous wrath. 

            Incensed as she was, she was no fool; the Hutts had carved out their territory through treachery and guile, through blackmail and assassination, and to underestimate them in her anger would be to embrace her own painful death.  She would have to rely more on what she’d learned on the run in the lower levels of Coruscant while she was here than on what she’d learned from Vader.  She found it a good test of her subtlety and her ability to covertly operate.

            Enuma, of course, was another matter entirely.

            Somina had managed to filter out the majority of the protestations that Enuma spat in Ryl, though some of the louder and more obscene ones had made her chuckle quietly to herself.  Enuma could be quite boisterous when moved to passion, for good or ill, and it was just one more thing about her that Somina loved.  Somina had decided, for Enuma’s own protection, to have her stay aboard the ship while she was having her dealings with the Hutts.  Though Somina had clearly stated to Enuma that it was only so that they could lift off quickly if things went badly, Somina couldn’t help but want to protect her love, whether or not she liked it.  Somina remembered all too clearly how the Hutts had treated Enuma before, and she didn’t want that to happen again.  A lovely Twi’lek female could fetch a good price on the slave markets, and Enuma was as beautiful as anyone Somina had ever seen.  No, it was best to leave Enuma in the safety of the ship.

            The Talddmurdop family of Hutts, the family to which this Garratha belonged, was a minor family, firmly lodged under the collective weight of Jabba’s Desilijic family.  Though they lacked the political and financial influence of the Desilijics, the Talddmurdops made up for that with pure viciousness, and Garratha was the worst of them all.  Somina had done her research on Garratha along the way from Jedha to Nal Hutta, and what she’d discovered made her cringe.  She honestly wished she’d left Enuma on Mon Cala, if only to keep her far from the clutches of this most vile of the already-vile Hutts.  Garratha had a long history of bloody wars against other minor families, as well as horrifying ‘examples’ made of his enemies.  Garratha preferred the personal touch, and had allegedly ended many of his most irksome foes’ lives himself.  Most ‘proper’ Hutts considered Garratha insane, though even Jabba would never say so to Garratha’s face.  This was the monster she’d have to deal with today, and she did not like the idea of Enuma being on the same world as Garratha.  From what Somina could determine, his appetite for pleasure rivaled his appetite for blood.

            Somina had given in to the stereotypical image of the Sith today, dressing herself head to toe in solid black, with a hooded cloak draped over her head.  She felt foolish having to cut holes for her montrals to poke through, but otherwise, the hood would do little more than serve as a sail, a sail that would be a constant annoyance whenever a breeze happened to blow her way.  If all went as planned, she would cut a figure imposing enough to put Garratha ill at ease.  If all did not go as planned, well, the hood of her cloak would be the least of her concerns.  If a quarter of the rumors about Garratha were true, she was walking into the lair of a complete sociopath with little more than her lightsabers and the power of the Dark Side.

            Somina knew it would be more than enough.  Very little could withstand the naked power of the Dark Side of the Force.

            “Beloved!  Are you even listening to me?”  Enuma continued her ranting, though Somina's thoughts were far from that place and time.  Instead, she was preparing for what could likely end up being a very nasty, very bloody, conflict.  Enuma should understand; she knew the depths the Hutts would sink to better than most.  Still, Enuma railed against Somina's decision to leave her with the ship.  “I do not understand why you would just leave me behind!  I could be helpful to you!  I could watch your back, I could...”

            Somina's eyes flashed as she turned abruptly back to Enuma.  “You could do as I have asked you.  I do not want you anywhere near the Hutts, do you understand?  You are not trained, and you are definitely not ready for a fight like this.  I don't know how else to explain it, Enuma!  Garratha is more of a maniac than Jabba is, and you _do_ remember what Jabba did to you, don't you?”

            For the first time since she'd known her, Enuma's eyes got that same flash, the unleashed rage that Somina knew was the first step down the road of the Dark Side.  “I will _NEVER_ forget what Jabba did to me, beloved!  That is why I want to be with you when you fight them!”  Her voice had fallen to a growl, and Somina could sense the power rising within the Twi'lek.  Enuma's raw potential was impressive, though her sunny disposition tended to curtail her ability to tap into the Dark Side.  Not so now, however; she was fully enraged.  “Do _NOT_ deny me this, beloved.  Do _NOT_ force me to remain behind while you go into battle against my enemy.”

            “Garratha isn't Jabba, Enuma.  He's worse.  Much, much worse.  How do you know that you could handle...”

            Enuma's hand shot out towards Somina, and suddenly, with unbelievable strength, one of Somina's lightsabers flew away from her and into Enuma's hand.  She flicked it to life and held the point of it to Somina's throat in less than a second.  Somina hadn't even had time to react.  “I can handle it.  Just trust me.”

            Somina couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and love.  Enuma had demonstrated to her, beyond any doubt, that her capabilities were more than adequate for handling thugs and gangsters.  Enuma's connection to the Dark Side certainly seemed quite powerful indeed, but something felt wrong, somehow.  It was as if the very thing that made Enuma who she was suddenly took a back seat to her anger, her hatred towards the Hutts.  It would serve her well in the imminent conflict, but what would things be like afterwards?  Somina knew that she herself had changed considerably since her first encounter with Darth Vader; how would Enuma change once the Dark Side began to take root?

            Still, Somina was proud of her love, proud of the nascent Sith that now stood, threatening her with her own weapon.  “Very well.  But follow my lead, alright?  I don't want to get into a fight we don't need to fight.”

            Enuma nodded slowly, and deactivated Somina's weapon, handing it back to her after it shut down.  “I understand.  I will heed your wishes, but I will not just be the one that stays at home.  Where you go, I go.  We go together, in all things.  That is how it must be.  The only way it _can_ be.”

            Somina nodded as well, and hung the lightsaber back from her belt.  “You are not a child, nor are you a trophy wife.  I forget sometimes that I don't always need to protect you.  Sometimes, you protect me.  Sometimes, we protect each other.  That _is_ how it must be.”

            Enuma stood silent for a moment, and then turned to head into their quarters.  “If you will excuse me, I am going to put on one of those lovely cloaks.  I wish to be intimidating as well.”

            “You already are,” Somina muttered under her breath.  “You just don't realize it yet.”

            Somina and Enuma, now both clad in black and hooded, left the ship to walk into the chaos of the spaceport.  Nal Hutta was a busy place, with a thousand ships coming and going at any given time.  Many shipments were legitimate trade, but far more were enterprising smugglers delivering contraband to greedy Hutt clients.  The import of luxuries was a truly lucrative business on the Hutt homeworld.  The Hutts craved the trappings of wealth and privilege more than they did breathing, and as such, a constant stream of the most exotic foods, pharmaceuticals, and weapons came to Nal Hutta through the various spaceports.  Using a code 'borrowed' from an interrogated smuggler, they'd managed to get to the planet's surface with minimal complication.  Somina had never cared for interrogation, but once the smuggler had realized she was acting under Imperial 'authority', he'd proceeded to tell her all sorts of useful information on dealing with the local authorities, both in the spaceport as well as the various Hutt estates.  At this moment, however, the sight of two cloaked, hooded figures walking silently and with purpose was more than enough to make onlookers think twice about asking questions.  In fact, very few who passed through the spaceport did so much as look at the two.

            Very few, save for the tall, slender female, similarly clad, that was about a hundred meters behind them.  Her path did not deviate from theirs at all, but as she moved, it was almost as if passers-by didn't even see her.  She navigated the crowds as if she was water running around rocks in a stream.  She was tracking her prey, and nothing would deter her.

            It was at that moment that Somina felt something on the edge of her perceptions, a dark presence similar to the one she'd sensed on Jedha.  It was menacing, but not as much as she'd sensed in the city of NiJedha.  It was also strangely familiar, but she just couldn't place how.  She shook it off just as quickly as it had come on, reminding herself to look into it once matters with Garratha had concluded.  Enuma seemed to have sensed it as well, for she stood, her head turned over her shoulder, with a puzzled expression.  Somina gestured to Enuma to let it rest, and they proceeded on their way, and their follower continued as well, moving unnoticed amongst the crowds.

            Qedriga Spaceport was full to bursting with masses of people coming and going.  Regardless of how many were crowded into the narrow corridors, they somehow all managed to part enough to make way for the two cloaked figures that moved intently towards the main exit.  Once they exited the main building of the spaceport, however, there was a completely different feel to the world around them; they were very much intruding on the territory of the Hutts.  It was if a thousand eyes were all suddenly trained on them, though they could see no sign of observation.  Somina was not foolish; she knew that at the very least, agents of the most powerful Hutt kajidics were monitoring them, if not outright tailing them.  She would not bother trying to elude them, for the Hutts' spies were legion, and ultimately unavoidable.  Instead, she chose to make a very clear statement of purpose, defiantly standing out amongst the crowds, for Somina did not fear the Hutts.  She had already communicated her intentions to Jabba, so naturally those scheming both for and against the Desilijic kajidic would be most interested in the Sith's presence.  Her only hope was that the Hutts' fear of her would not tempt them to contact the Empire regarding her.  She held out no hope that she would not be recognized; she was one of the better-known Jedi padawans, for good or ill, and was thus easily recognizable, even several years older.

            Somina decided it would be to their benefit to get out of large, open areas, so she and Enuma ducked briefly into a nearby cantina.  It was a rough place, with the lowliest scum of the galaxy hanging about, waiting for the next score.  Fights would occasionally break out, but once Somina and Enuma stepped inside, the rowdy crowd fell silent as the two black-clad figures seated themselves at a small table near the back of the cantina.

            “This reminds me too much of Mos Eisley on Tatooine, beloved.  I do not like Mos Eisley,” Enuma growled under her breath, loud enough only for Somina to hear.

            “I’m not terribly familiar with the major towns on Tatooine.  What’s so bad about Mos Eisley?”  Somina asked, genuinely curious.

            “I was sold to Jabba there, a long time ago.  I do not know how long, my memory of my time as Jabba’s property is not very good.  I promised myself that if I ever returned there, it would only be to burn it to the ground.”

            Somina half-smiled at Enuma.  “We can make that happen, you know.”

            Enuma pouted, in that particular way Somina found so adorable.  “Only if Bucket-Head allows you!”

            Somina’s smile disappeared as if it had never been there.  “This again.  Look, I get that you don’t like Vader; honestly, I’m not sure I like him myself.  But he’s given me the chance to live and to do good things that help people, Enuma.  I don’t like being on a leash any more than you, but right now, being who I am and doing what I do, it’s the best possible thing I can hope for.  It helped me find you, and I have never been so happy in my life.  Like it or not, Darth Vader is who makes it all possible.  So please, Enuma, try and show a little respect.  Please?”

            “Fine,” snarled Enuma.  “I will not call him Bucket-Head.  But I will not like it!  Do not expect me to orally pleasure you for a while!”

            Somina rolled her eyes.  “Yes, please, announce our sex life to the whole cantina, why don’t you?”

            Enuma didn’t take the eye-rolling well, and Somina could see the anger starting to bubble up just a little.  “Why should I not?  You certainly scream loud enough to do the same when I pleasure you!”

            Their bickering carried on for a few moments, but while they were distracted with their argument, a shadowy figure sat down at a table not far from theirs.  The individual in question was tall, slender, and unquestionably female, and her identity was hidden by an enclosed helmet.  If one could have seen her eyes, they would see that they aimed directly at Darth Somina, and that they never once blinked.

            “Look, we can talk about this later.  We have work to do, Enuma.”  Somina knew that regardless of any tussle she and Enuma might have, that the mission _had_ to come first.  It _had_ to; people’s lives depended on them.  “What can you tell me about Garratha’s family compound?”

            Enuma unclipped a small, round object from her belt, and set it on the table in front of them.  It clicked to life, and a small hologram formed above the object, showing a topographical map of the Talddmurdop estate.  It, for all intents and purposes, looked just like a dozen other Hutt compounds, with large, palatial mansions surrounded by massive guns.  “It is very heavily defended.  There are ion cannons in the northern and eastern sectors, as well as anti-aircraft emplacements on every roof of every building.  There is a landing pad here,” Enuma said, pointing to a large, hexagonal area near the back of the main building, “but it is protected with ray shields that are only shut down when something is landing.  It is assumed that there are a substantial number of armed guards, but it is not specified anywhere how many exactly.  We must assume a lot.  The guard towers at the corners of the estate are durasteel-reinforced stone.  It is a paranoiac’s paradise.”

            Somina nodded, not liking the news.  “And the weakness?”

            Enuma looked puzzled.  “Weakness?”

            “Everything has a weakness.  Nothing is perfect.  What’s the vulnerable point here?”

            Enuma looked over the text at the periphery of the hologram, a grim expression on her face.  “So far as I can tell, there is no vulnerability.  Unless we have a clearance code for their landing pad, getting in will be a matter of either asking nicely or brute force.”

            Somina sighed audibly.  “Well then, I guess we will begin with asking nicely.  It has to work sometime, wouldn’t you say?”

            Enuma showed a sliver of a smile on her face.  “I am not optimistic that this is the time that it will work, but I have no better ideas.”

            “Do you want a drink?  I want a drink.”  Somina flagged down a nearby Twi’lek girl that was dressed as a servant.  The Twi’lek walked over to the table, looking quite tired and worn down.

            Enuma took one look at the girl and gasped.  “Aola?”

            The gray-green Twi’lek’s eyes widened.  “Enuma?”

            Enuma leapt from her seat and threw her arms around the Twi’lek waitress.  The two embraced for several moments, and finally, Enuma turned back towards Somina.  “Somina, this is my good friend Aola!  We were working together for Jabba when I was first…acquired.  She helped me to learn how to survive amongst the Hutts.  We were separated when I was given to Bib Fortuna.  I did not expect to see you here, Aola!  How did you get to this place?”

            Aola, weakly smiling, spoke as excitedly as she could.  “I was sold to Morvash Ath as part of a deal with Jabba.  Jabba wanted some ancient crystal thing, I don’t know what for, and I was the only thing Ath wanted in return.  Ath has treated me more like an employee than a slave, though, so I don’t mind much.  The hours are long, but I have my own place, some spending money, and I never go hungry.  Not bad for a slave girl, right?”

            Enuma smiled from ear to ear.  “Somina rescued me from Bib Fortuna.  He was treating me badly, and she came and freed me.  She sliced off the tip of Bib’s lek to illustrate her point.  Then we fell in love.  We have been together since.”

            Aola smiled wider now.  “We have both done well, then.  I shall get us some drinks.  Ath doesn’t mind if I socialize with customers a bit, as long as the drinks get ordered.  I’ll be right back.”  Aola turned to head towards the bar, but turned back after a couple steps.  “It’s so good to see you again, Enuma.”  Aola then scampered off into the kitchen area, just behind the bar, and disappeared from sight.

            Somina knew the smile on Enuma’s face; there was some history between Enuma and the waitress.  Normally, Somina only ever saw that smile when Enuma was thinking of her, and she felt just the smallest little twinge in the pit of her stomach.  It was a feeling Somina didn’t like, because the last time she’d felt it, it caused her a lot of grief.  She resolved to keep this to herself, and put on her best smile.  “I’ve never met anyone from your past, Enuma.  I’m glad to see you at least had some friends.”

            Enuma’s smile brightened considerably.  “Yes, Aola was a very good friend to me.  She taught me how to keep myself alive, how to hold yourself together when your master…forces himself on you, and she also showed me it was alright to…you know…prefer females.”

            Somina’s face immediately jumped into a shocked expression.  This was, unfortunately, the thing she’d feared the most, the thing her gut was reacting about.  Aola was not just Enuma’s friend, but Somina had to assume that Aola had also been Enuma’s lover at one time.  The sick feeling in her gut magnified a thousand times, as she knew she would have to come to terms with the surge of jealousy she now felt.

            Enuma seemed almost worried.  “Are you alright, beloved?  You do not look well all of a sudden.”

            Somina attempted a giggle, but it just came out as an awkward, boorish sound.  “I just…didn’t expect that you had been…”

            Enuma’s expression changed smoothly after hearing that, as she figured it out.  “Beloved, I am yours completely, but you are not the first I have been with.  You knew that already.”

            “Yes, but I didn’t think…that you’d been with other females before.  I thought I was…”  Somina almost felt like crying, which was something she never did.

            Enuma ran her hand down Somina’s cheek, subtly wiping away the tiny tear that had welled up in the corner of her eye.  “You _ARE_ the only one.  Others had their time, and it passed.  You are my beloved, Somina, and no one else will have what we have.”

            Somina wanted to just bury her head in Enuma’s breast, and cry hysterically, but she struggled to keep herself calm.  “I…didn’t mean to…insinuate anything…I just…”

            Enuma granted her wish, and pulled her close.  “Aola was not my lover, anyway.  She desired to be, but I was not in any shape to be anyone’s at that time.  I was so ravaged by my master that the idea of anyone touching me was terrifying.”

            Somina fought back the urge to cry again, though she knew Enuma would understand.  Somina knew how it felt to have your loyalty betrayed and violated, though in a different way than Enuma had experienced.  She lifted her head from Enuma’s chest, careful not to entangle lekku and montrals, and just looked deep into the eyes of her love.  A single tear ran down her cheek, though her expression was not one of sadness, but of deep humility.  “You were…my first.  I had never been with anyone before you.  I had loved people, loved them enough to desire them, but it has only ever been you.”

            Enuma’s eyes widened as the revelation processed.  She tightened her grip on Somina’s hand, nuzzling it with her cheek.  “I did not know.  I assumed…Anakin…”

            Somina sighed, reluctantly.  “Only in a dream.”

            “Touching, truly.”  A metallic voice cut through the haze of their conversation, bringing both Somina and Enuma back to the cantina on Nal Hutta.  Somina’s head turned around to look upon the form of a hulking Duros male standing not more than a meter from the table.  Though she had only heard stories, she knew by the large hat he wore that this was Cad Bane, a bounty hunter infamous for hunting Jedi.  His mouth was twisted into a sneer, and he mockingly tipped his hat.  “Ahsoka Tano, is it?  You’re about to make me rich.”


	9. Chapter 9

Somina turned her eyes to the distinct sound of the Duros’ voice, her eyes narrowed with disdain. “Cad Bane, I’m guessing. I’m surprised Jabba’s still trying so hard.”

The Duros bounty hunter’s sneer twisted into an amused smile. The toothpick in the corner of his mouth seemed to somehow magically stay in place as his face seemed to flow around it. “It’s not a smart idea to make a Hutt look bad, kid. They hold a grudge like you wouldn’t bleeeeeeegh!” Bane’s voice was cut short shortly after Somina had lifted her hand, gesturing towards the bounty hunter. Bane clutched at his throat desperately, as if to free himself from a grip that wasn’t actually there.

Somina’s face was twisted with sadistic delight. “You killed several good friends of mine, you son of a bitch.” She lifted her hand slightly higher, and Bane rose up into the air, his feet thrashing through empty air, trying to find purchase. For several moments, Somina held him there, his thrashing and gurgling amusing her, but once he started to go slack, she released him, letting him fall hard to the ground. He gasped for air upon impact, and as he did so, Somina stood over him, cloak flowing around her. “This is the one and only warning you get, hunter. Tell Jabba that I’m not to be pursued any longer. If I am, he has my assurance that he’ll need to start finding new bounty hunters. And as for you, Bane…” Her eyes flashed bright orange as hatred pulsed throughout her body. “If I ever see you again, I will not show as much mercy.”

Somina returned to her seat, continuing her conversation with Enuma. Bane scrambled to his feet, and dusted off his clothing. “You’re gonna regret this, Jedi!”

Somina, her conversation interrupted for the second time, glared directly at Bane. “Do I _look_ like a Jedi? Get out of my sight.” She returned to her conversation once more, and Bane knew he had best not press his luck. He picked his trademark hat up off the ground, dusted it off, and departed the cantina with a moderate stride. He would not gratify the whelp with a frightened retreat, but something was definitely wrong with this picture. He’d heard stories about Ahsoka Tano’s rebelliousness, but that went far beyond rebellious to straight-up psychotic. Her denial of being a Jedi also attested to something being out of sorts with the situation, but Bane was no fool; he would retreat for now, and figure out a new plan. This was more his turf than hers anyway, as there was nothing but scum on Nal Hutta.

Bane trudged back out of the cantina, his frustration well-hidden for the moment. He had to maintain appearances, for the sake of his clientele, and to show any irritation would be to admit to failure, and that was something he just could not afford to do. Jabba _had_ , in fact, hired him to bring in the renegade Togruta, and Jabba didn’t take well to anything less than complete satisfaction. He’d given Jabba his assurance that, based on all available information, he would have no difficulty bringing Ahsoka Tano in. Based on the information he’d had, he _shouldn’t_ have had any trouble. She had been known to be a decent lightsaber fighter, but not terribly well practiced in things like choking you out by looking at you. She shouldn’t have been able to do that, and yet, he’d felt the iron grip on his throat. Worse, she’d done it in front of an entire cantina of scumbags that could very well be his peers, or worse, his competitors. He’d have to keep a vigilant watch to make sure none of his competition tried to make a move on him.

Somina, on the other hand, had no qualms about letting her annoyance show. “Can you believe that? It’s like you can’t have a conversation anymore without being interrupted so rudely! I’m sorry, Enuma, I didn’t mean for things to get so out of hand.”

Enuma seemed somewhat shaken; she’d seen Somina angry on more than one occasion, but rarely so angry that she acted like the very thing she’d once taken up arms to fight. The eyes had changed again, and she was always wary when that happened. Enuma couldn’t help but feel that part of the responsibility fell on her; she’d started the argument that led to Somina nearly killing the Duros. Yet, had she not felt that same kind of anger rise up inside herself? Somina insisted that feeling that anger rising was a good thing, but Enuma wasn’t as sure. Though she’d known Somina to be very caring and kind, but that was generally reserved for a very select few. To the majority of the rest of the galaxy, Somina was apathetic at best, and outright hostile at worst. What had made Somina so damaged? Was it the Jedi? If it _was_ the Jedi, then Enuma felt no guilt about their demise. The stories Somina had told her of what the Jedi had put her through incensed Enuma to the point of rage, but what scars lurked even deeper in Somina’s psyche? What was yet to be revealed, and how would it affect Enuma’s life? These were the questions that kept Enuma awake on some nights. She never felt unsafe around Somina, but she worried that perhaps Somina was unsafe for herself.

Someone else that was patently unsafe for those around them was Mace Windu. Ever since his inability to make contact with the ‘Sith’ Ahsoka Tano, his mood had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Not only was he stuck in hiding in a ramshackle makeshift base, stuck there with the one-time Sith apprentice Maul no less, but now he was without a reliable source of incoming intelligence. He hadn’t put _much_ faith in the fallen padawan, but he needed information, and she was the only source in the galaxy he knew could be believed.

Of course, Maul took full advantage of Windu’s sour mood. The relationship between them was strained in the best of times, and not just merely because of ideological differences. Maul genuinely disliked Windu, a sentiment that was most definitely reciprocated, but they were both some of the very best of their particular brand of warfare. They had a begrudging respect for each other’s abilities, and that only existed due to their nearly-constant sparring. Both were masters of the seventh form of lightsaber combat, but both had massive philosophical differences in the practice of the form. It went beyond even the Light and the Dark; Windu incorporated the use of the Dark Side’s power in his Vaapad form.

No, ultimately these two just did _not_ like each other one bit. Ultimately, it did not matter; there was a purpose for their presence here, and the goal far outshone the means to which they planned to reach it. That didn’t keep Maul from taunting the former Jedi, thinking that he was luring the ‘great’ Mace Windu closer to the Dark Side. Maul didn’t understand that Windu had long ago made his peace with the Dark Side. He used its power without allowing it sway over him, and that was the basis of Vaapad. The road of Vaapad was a most difficult one, however, as every other person that had attempted to train in its ways inevitably fell to the Dark Side. Perhaps Mace Windu was the only one meant to walk that razor’s edge; in truth, Windu had no desire to train anyone ever again.

He’d been surprised at the sheer, raw power he’d sensed coming from Ahsoka, though it was almost all of the Dark Side. Windu knew better than most that the sheer power of the Dark Side far outdid the Light, and that was the very core of its seductiveness. It was the quick, simple route to power, and though one could never truly master it, one could become very powerful very quickly, as Palpatine had done. The drawback was that it inevitably destroyed you; Anakin Skywalker’s soul had been consumed by the Dark Side as much as his body had been consumed by the fires of Mustafar. Ancient Sith holocrons that Windu had studied told stories of how the power of the Dark Side corrupted the body as well as the soul, how some Sith Lords had literally crumbled to dust, so thoroughly ravaged by the Dark Side’s power that they could no longer hold their own bodies together. Windu remembered seeing Palpatine’s face just before Skywalker had betrayed him, watching the old man’s visage nearly melt into a saggy, grotesque mask of corruption and evil.

It was that same face that drove Mace Windu onward; he wouldn’t rest until he had finally deleted the grin from that horrid visage.

He needed to keep his mind in the here and now, however, and he opened his eyes as another attempt at meditation failed. The chamber was empty, as it usually was. Maul preferred to go out into the wilderness when he wished to meditate as Sith do. The feral creatures that inhabited the wastelands of this withered mudball of a planet provided him with ‘proper incentive’ to keep his mind, and his emotions, right where he wanted them to be. Windu was fairly certain Maul was off on one of his little adventures, so he’d have the base to himself for a little while.

He navigated the maze of half-demolished tunnels and access tubes that led to the communications center of the base, or so Windu called it. Ultimately, it was a jury-rigged network terminal that had a secure feed that could not be traced, or so he was told by the slicer he’d paid to set it up. When it worked, it was a great means through which vital information about what was going on in the galaxy could reach him. When it didn’t, it was an overpriced pile of bantha fodder. He had been relying on Ahsoka’s information for several days now, while the terminal was out of service, and her sudden silence infuriated and worried him. Though they’d never really interacted much at the Jedi Temple, he still conceded that she was taking a massive risk even talking to him, much less spying on Darth Vader and his Emperor.

He sat down in front of the desk unit that held the interstellar transceiver and the network terminal, and flicked the communications unit to life. “The problem with gundarks is that they are so resilient.” This was code, a message being sent from him to Ahsoka, one that requested her status. If she responded with ‘I haven’t had much of a problem with gundarks,’ then Windu would know that everything was going to plan. If she responded with ‘Gundarks are bad, but vornskrs are worse,’ then he would know that Vader was on to them, and would likely have to abandon their base. There were a dozen or so code phrases that they’d come up with for communicating on unsecured channels, but there was no protocol established for losing communications completely. All he could do was watch and wait, and Mace Windu was never a patient man.

A nearly-imperceptible beep emitted from Somina’s commlink as she and Enuma began to leave the cantina on Nal Hutta. The close call with Cad Bane was bad enough, especially since she’d revealed herself to have some sort of ability in the Force, and she knew already voices were buzzing, making calls to others that would in turn make other calls, until someone likely relayed the information about a rogue Force-sensitive to the Emperor himself. It had been foolish for Somina to make such a display, especially on a world as corrupt as Nal Hutta, but there was more work yet to do. Still, she couldn’t ignore the incoming signal, as she hadn’t reported to Mace Windu for several days.

“The problem with Gundarks is that they are so resilient.” Sure enough, it was Windu, checking up on her. Even now, years after she’d left the Jedi Order, and he’d fallen out Palpatine’s window, he still made her feel inadequate and small. He would learn soon enough how wrong he was, but for the moment, her agenda lined up with his.

“I haven’t had much of a problem with gundarks.” She sounded exceedingly irritated, and wanted Windu to know it.

“Is this regarding the old T-16?” Windu’s ridiculous code again, this time asking if the channel was secure.

“Yes.” It might not have been the ‘proper’ response, but she was certain Windu would get the idea.

“Where the hell have you been, Tano?”

“Running errands for Vader. A couple days on Jedha, then to Nal Hutta.”

“And this has what to do with your mission?” Windu was getting impatient, and Somina was not much better.

“My _MISSION_ , _SIR_ , is to get close enough to the Emperor to expose him or make him vulnerable. I can’t really do that very well if Vader is suspicious of me. I have to be a good girl if I’m going to be able to help you.” In fact, Somina’s irritation had surpassed Windu’s, and she was no longer concerned about how he felt about it.

A few seconds passed by what Somina took to be stunned silence, and then, “Fair enough. What is Vader having you do?”

“I’m to be tracking down information on a stolen Imperial weapon. The codename for it is ‘Starblade’. It appears to be an attempt at a large-scale manipulation of energy along the lines of a lightsaber.”

Windu was silent again, for only a couple seconds. “I’m not familiar with this project. What do we know about its capabilities?”

Somina finally was calming down, but Windu’s interrogation didn’t help her mood much. “I may have actually seen this weapon in use, when we engaged what appeared to be Imperial fighters during a rescue operation. Vader believes that the weapon is either in the possession of a scientist named Naran Chozai, or in the hands of Garratha Talddmurdop. We’re here on Nal Hutta following up on Garratha.”

“Use caution, Tano. That orange lunatic Garratha has quite the reputation about being over the top, even for a Hutt.”

“Don’t worry, boss. I know how to handle Hutts. I’ve dealt with Jabba for years.”

“Jabba doesn’t like to wear the entrails of his victims as jewelry. Remember that.” A second of silence again, and Windu continued. “Alright, continue playing the role for Vader’s comfort, but start helping make inroads to Palpatine. The sooner we can get to him, the faster this nightmare can be over. Otherwise, we risk a civil war breaking out, and I really don’t like the chances that the average person stands in that particular scenario. We’re talking dead by the millions. Find what Vader needs you to find, and then get focused on getting to Palpatine. Got it?”

Somina’s brow crinkled with anger. “Got it.” She cut off the signal immediately after speaking, knowing it would likely send Windu into a fit. That notion made her smile just a little.

She wasn’t wrong. Windu was incensed at the Togruta’s abrupt disconnection, and let more than a couple profanities loose. After a moment of catharsis, Windu calmed himself, and turned to leave the communications center, only to be startled by Maul, who was leaning against the frame of the airlock door that led into the communications center. Maul clapped slowly, a hideous smile on his face. “Oh, well done, Tano. Well done. There seems to be hope for her yet. Pity she’s taken up with that bucket of spare parts the Emperor calls an apprentice. I could show her what being a Sith is _truly_ all about.”

“You’ll stay the hell away from her is what you’ll do,” Windu said, cutting off Maul. “She’s got enough to deal with without you putting more bad ideas in her head.

Maul looked directly into Windu’s eyes. “Do you _really_ believe that, _Master Jedi_? Or is it just easier to believe that someone just can’t find personal fulfillment and enlightenment in the power of the Dark Side? I’d rethink that belief if I were you, especially considering how much power the Dark Side has given _you_.”

“I control _IT_ , not the other way around, Maul!” Windu’s anger was barely checked, as he did not like eavesdroppers.

Maul scoffed, and turned to leave the communications center. “Keep telling yourself that, _Master Jedi_. You may even believe it one day.”

Somina, eminently pleased with herself, leisurely strolled through the city streets. Besides her choice of wardrobe, she didn’t stand out much here on Nal Hutta, especially not with a Twi’lek in tow. Dozens of races made their way through the streets here, making one deal or another, all wanting to get rich but none understanding that the only ones that got rich on Nal Hutta were Hutts. Some Hutts, though, weren’t necessarily in it for the profit. Some wanted to hurt people just to hurt people, and Garratha was allegedly one of these. Somina didn’t relish the idea of being around any Hutts, but at least she knew that Garratha had no particular love for the Desilijics. She wasn’t about to give into the building anxiety, but she knew she had to be sharp and alert at all times, as Garratha could not be trusted. She had to be doubly vigilant due to Enuma’s presence as well, so she desperately wanted to get her dealings with the Hutts finished, even if it meant delving once again into Naran Chozai’s secret world.

Somina and Enuma stood before the massive gate that led into the compound of the Talddmurdop family. It was allegedly hewn from a single block of Mandalorian iron, which absolutely no one believed, but it was imposing and nearly-impregnable nonetheless. The two stood before the gate for several moments, just taking in the sheer size of it. It had to have been nearly fifty meters high, dwarfing the two cloaked figures.

“Somina, that wall is huge.”

“Yes, Enuma. It is.”

“How are we going to get them to open such a big wall?”

“I don’t know, Enuma. I don’t know.”

“Maybe we should…knock?”

“Might as well try.”

Somina rapped her knuckles against the massive metal door, and the sound of the impact rang out like a massive bell. The sound reverberated for several moments, with all other sound seemingly disappearing all around them, as if everyone and everything was holding their breath, waiting for what would happen next. Nothing moved or even made a sound for several minutes, and then, without warning, the massive door started to rise up from the ground with a terrible, mechanical sound. Once about half a meter above the tops of Somina’s montrals, the door stopped moving, and the chilling stillness abruptly ceased, as life resumed on Nal Hutta.

An angry-looking Zabrak, one with no tattoos and an unusually human-like color, walked out of the shadows cast by the massive door. “You will be admitted to see Garratha, but first you must identify yourselves,” the Zabrak growled.

“Darth Somina, envoy of Darth Vader.” Somina’s gaze was steely and resolute. She locked eyes with the Zabrak, and met a surprising amount of resistance. She could sense that the Zabrak knew she was speaking true; he just didn’t care.

The Zabrak blatantly scoffed at Somina, but the smirk he wore was less malicious. “Garratha’s been expecting you. He says you’re to be treated like proper guests. Meaning: you won’t likely be killed right away if you end up staying here overnight. Let’s go, Garratha’s waiting for you. Dinner is being served, and he’d like for you to join him.”

“I have never been the guest of a Hutt, Mr….” Enuma couldn’t help herself but to trail off, as she had no idea of the Zabrak’s identity.

“Nero,” the Zabrak muttered. “If you need anything beyond what Garratha provides for you, just ask for Nero, alright? Now, let’s go.”

Nero went first into the inky blackness of the shadows behind the massive door. The light began to fade further as the deafening sound of the door’s mechanical workings started again, lowering the massive door into place once again. As the three figures moved through the darkness into a dimly lit tunnel, they were soon flanked by three massive, armored guards. It was difficult to tell much about the guards beyond being exceptionally tall, being covered head to toe in a black, dull metallic armor, and making surprisingly little sound for being so massive and so covered in metal. These were not the typical Gamorreans that Hutts would occasionally use as guards and bouncers. They walked with precision and a strange sort of grace. Whatever they were, they were well-trained and disciplined, not to mention armed to the teeth. One walked to their left, another to their right, and the final one behind them. It seemed excessive for their being ‘guests’, but Somina knew Hutt hospitality extended as far as the guests’ usefulness.

Enuma swallowed without any pretense of subtlety. “I’ve got a…”

“…bad feeling about this.” Mace Windu had searched every inch of the compound, every chamber and room he could think of, but Maul was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t like Maul to hide; even when he’d prefer to be left alone, Maul was always somewhere where he could watch the fallen Jedi, and where Windu could watch him. It was one of the unspoken agreements between the two of them; they were never long out of each other’s sight.

At any other time, the notion of going inside Maul’s personal quarters would have been unthinkable. Windu valued his privacy, and he knew the only way he’d ever have any is if he also guaranteed Maul’s. It was, after all, another of the unspoken agreements between enemies that were not exactly enemies. Still, if Maul had indeed gone missing, it would be a bad sign indeed, a sign that their alliance, however temporary it was to be, had completely disintegrated. Ultimately, the only one who’d win from such a situation was Palpatine, and Windu felt that Palpatine had won enough already.

Then, suddenly, Windu noticed not far from his own quarters the broken remnants of the staff Maul often trained with, snapped clean in half, and driven into the nearest wall almost twenty centimeters deep. This was more than just a display of power. It was a message, and the message was ‘I’ll be back soon to settle matters’.

“Damn it…” Windu muttered under his breath. One of the most violent loose cannons in the galaxy had given him the slip, and left no clue as to where he was going. “Follow the carnage, I guess,” Windu continued, knowing full well no one was listening. He walked slowly off to the hidden landing pad, where a weathered Jedi starfighter sat, covered with camouflage and repainted to look like a civilian vessel.

It was times like these that made his aging body ache, and no amount of communion with the Force would ever take that away. He clambered into the cockpit of the fighter, and started powering up the engines. A nearby astromech droid, R9-P6, took the cue from Windu and used its rockets to jump up into the astromech port of the ship. Once R9 had plugged in, the beaten-up fighter launched smoothly into the storm-tossed night sky, and vanished as soon as they were able to jump to lightspeed.

It was also night on Mon Cala. As the University’s laboratories were closing up, that Liakykam found herself walking home alone. Normally, the Wookiee didn’t care for any particular length of walk alone, especially at night, even in as safe an area as the University. There were Imperial patrols that made certain the students and faculty were kept safe, especially the ones working on special Imperial projects, just as Liak was. Still, as she tended to jump at shadows, Liak preferred to walk with friends when at all possible. Unfortunately, Dr. Cunx had needed her to stay later than usual, as their testing was reaching a critical juncture, and the friends Liak tended to walk back home with were long gone when she was able to leave.

The night was warm, at least, and the breeze coming off the ocean felt quite pleasing, even with her coarse fur insulating her from the majority of temperature differences. She resolved to make the short trip without incident, and slowly ambled back to her dormitory.

Liak’s thoughts went back to the strange Twi’lek girl she’d met, that Enuma, and she found herself admiring the spunk and assertiveness the Twi’lek possessed. It struck even Liak as amusing that a Wookiee would be admiring the courage of a Twi’lek, but these were strange times. There had been reports coming in through various channels that there were incidents of violence on Kashyyyk, though no source seemed to know to what extent the violence occurred, and to whom it occurred. Liak found herself thinking the worst, imagining such improbable scenarios as the Empire enslaving the entire Wookiee race, and stormtroopers burning the massive trees to ash. Liak usually found herself being pessimistic, except in Enuma’s company. The thought of the Twi’lek made the Wookiee smile, and though Liak was still afraid of essentially everything, she found thinking of Enuma made it easier. After all, if a former slave girl could hold her head high, why then couldn’t an accomplished scientist, even one that just happened to be an utter coward?

Liak made it back to the dormitory without any great trauma, and though her heart still raced with anxiety, she was finally home, and could make the attempt to relax. She threw herself onto the reinforced bed, constructed especially to accommodate a Wookiee, with a loud thump, and took a moment to stare at the ceiling. Being a Wookiee in academia was a rarity away from Kashyyyk, as the vast majority of Wookiee scholars and scientists could do the most good at home, but Liak’s abilities with crystallography and various schools of mathematics were best challenged off-world. She had chosen the University at Mon Cala because of Naran Chozai’s projects, and now, he was gone. Me Cunx continued the work, but it wasn’t the same without Naran. Liak wasn’t really sure what it was about him (at least, she _thought_ Naran was a ‘him’) that made the project so much more interesting. She wasn’t interested in him romantically; she barely could understand his strange ways, not to mention his disconcerting appearance.

It must be, she surmised, his exoticism that fascinated her so. The way he perched as opposed to sitting or standing, the way he always seemed to be looking in all directions at once, the way his synthesized ‘voice’ seemed to have the most unusual inflections; all these things were unlike anything Liak had ever seen before. Though Naran was the only one of his people to be working in the parts of the galaxy she knew about, she knew that somewhere, there was an entire planetary system teeming with his people. She wondered if she’d ever get to see it, but she’d been told it was somewhere out beyond the known galaxy, in the distant reaches the Empire had begun to probe so diligently.

The sheer number of scientific studies that she’d heard about that were taking place in the no-man’s-land beyond the Outer Rim made her wonder, truly, what it was out there that so fascinated the Empire. The fact that the Empire also kept a very tight lid on the specifics of their operations beyond the Rim, as well as the complete lack of information as to what they’d found, only intrigued her more. Liak dreamed of going to places that none had ever been, seeing things no Wookiee had ever seen, and these things were fine…in dreams. She couldn’t walk half a kilometer to and from her laboratory without feeling anxiety crush her. No, Liak knew that exploration was not for her, but curiosity still blossomed within her razor-sharp mind.

Liak turned onto her side, and rummaged through the stack of datacards that sat next to her bed. Oftentimes, she would listen to lectures that she’d enjoyed for one reason or another, and losing herself in scholarly pursuits would often make the anxiety lessen its grip on her chest. After a few moments of searching, she chose one of her favorites; a lecture given by Naran Chozai on little-known Outer Rim worlds. She’d heard the lecture a thousand times before, of course, but the mechanical drone of Chozai’s voice synthesizer soothed her in a way she didn’t quite understand. The lecture played, and she paid minimal attention to the content, instead letting her mind focus on Chozai’s ‘voice’. It reached the section where Chozai was discussing the Rimma Trade Route, covering minor systems in the Sluis sector, when something seemed to grab Liak’s attention fully. Chozai’s electronic voice pronounced the word ‘Dagobah’ and suddenly, Liak felt as if she were being watched.

“…Little is known about the small Dagobah system, beyond that it is uninhabited by intelligent species, and that the planet is primarily a swamp, teeming with simple life forms. It is a fascinating example of…”

_Liakykam._

Liak’s head shot up and immediately started looking around the room, searching for a source for the voice she clearly heard speak her name. She attempted to utter a gruff rumble, in a flimsy attempt at sounding threatening, but all that managed to escape her mouth was a tiny squeak. _Someone_ had spoken her name, and she was paralyzed with terror.

_Liakykam. Dagobah. Come. Enuma as well. Come._

She hadn’t imagined that, but there was no one to be seen. She leapt from her bed over to a HoloNet terminal, and punched up the local security sensor readouts, something she failed to let University Security know she knew how to do. Sure enough, there was no one anywhere near her dormitory that wasn’t supposed to be there.

She slumped back down onto her bed, shoulders and head hanging lower than usual. It was to be another sleepless night, one of many she’d had since coming to Mon Cala, but she resolved to contact Enuma in the morning, and get her take on this event.

Enuma was, of course, rather busy at that particular moment. They’d been taken into the palace of the Talddmurdop kajidic on Nal Hutta by Nero, an irritable Zabrak, and three guards of unidentified species. Nero had informed them that they were to be treated as guests of Garratha Talddmurdop, the Hutt that was somehow connected with Project Starblade. Enuma and Somina were both wary of this, knowing what ‘hospitality’ meant to a Hutt, especially one with the reputation Garratha had.

After a few moments of walking through a long tunnel, passing several small security checkpoints at which they were scanned, and passing through a massive set of double doors, they finally reached an enormous chamber, filled near to bursting with various individuals of a hundred different systems. In the very center of the room, raised up on a platform that appeared to be plated with gold, sat a massive Hutt, repulsive even by Hutt standards. He seemed to be eating a meal, which involved shoving several nearby creatures into his gaping mouth in between utterances to the nearby sycophants. The Hutt was mottled orange and white, which were not normal colors for someone of his species. The repulsive creature noticed the approaching figures and motioned for Somina and Enuma to be brought before him. The heavily-armed guards, without so much as brushing up against them, led Somina and Enuma directly in front of the loathsome Hutt. As Somina was brought closer to the platform, she could see there was a large variety of small life-forms laid out on a table in front of the Hutt. All were alive, and some seemed genuinely terrified. The Hutt himself was even more vile up close; inexplicable patches of wispy, disheveled grey and orange hair, seemingly random, protruded out of the Hutt’s gargantuan, misshapen head. A steady stream of unidentifiable slime, possibly the Hutt’s own drool, ran out of the left corner of his mouth. The thick stench of decay and carrion filled the air around the impossibly disgusting creature. Enuma gagged silently as they were brought closer to the table, but Somina held herself stone still. She wasn’t about to give Garratha the satisfaction of her revulsion.

“So Darth Vader finally sends me one of his lackeys to check up on old Garratha, does he?” The voice that came out of the Hutt didn’t seem to match the size of him. Instead of a deep, booming voice, like Jabba’s, Garratha’s voice was thin and reedy. Garratha also didn’t seem to share the Hutt affectation of speaking only their native tongue, and instead chose to speak the common language. Somina couldn’t help but think this the only positive quality she could think of, when confronted with the most vile creature she’d ever seen. Jabba was, in her estimation, suave and dapper in comparison to Garratha. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get along with the Empire? But no, Vader still hounds me about his little trinket. Your journey, little envoy, is in vain. I do not have the Empire’s toy. I wanted it, and I’d still buy it if offered to me, but I do not have it. That _freak_ Chozai wouldn’t sell it to me.” Somina noted the emphasis Garratha put on the word ‘freak’; it would seem Naran Chozai had the same effect on Garratha as he had on her.

“Lord Vader sends his regards, your excellency, but as I’m sure his reputation precedes him, you will understand if I don’t just take your word for it.” Somina tried very hard to repress her anger, her rage, and her disgust for the entire Hutt species, for she had a job to do. Letting her emotions run wild was not the way Vader had taught her; it was about using those emotions as a source of power. No, she had to keep it calm for now.

Garratha stared at her silently for a moment, and then broke out into a deep, belly laugh. Shortly after, the rest of his servants and minions in the chamber joined in the laughter. “You’re fantastic, you know that?” Garratha said, mocking Somina and yet not mocking her. “You’re brave for a girl, to march up into my palace and act the hard case. Now, I told you once, I don’t have Vader’s toy. If you want to know where it is, you’ll just have to find Naran Chozai, and have him tell you. But, and you better remember this well, he’s one bad guy. Something off about him, something I don’t like. If something bad happened to him, I don’t think I’d lose any sleep.” Garratha raised one of his unsually small hands and snapped his fingers, and as he did so, a few shapes began to move through the assembled crowd. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have real business to attend to, so I’ll just have some of my good friend Jabba’s men escort you out.”

No sooner had Somina wheeled around in an attempt to ignite her lightsabers then she felt the muzzle end of a blaster pistol pressed up against her forehead. Holding the pistol was a smiling Duros of Somina’s previous acquaintance. Cad Bane chuckled derisively at the Sith apprentice. “Turns out Garratha is a team player after all, girl. Jabba’s got a rather high price on your pretty little head, and I intend to collect it. Don’t even think about fighting, kid; I’ve killed stronger Jedi than you.”

Without speaking, Enuma gently took hold of Somina’s hand, and Somina returned the gesture with a slight squeeze. Somina wasn’t sure what Enuma was planning, but she knew this meant that she was planning _something_. She didn’t have to turn to know that Enuma had that hard glare on her face, the one she got when she was angry. They held their hands together for just a second more…

And then Enuma grabbed one of Somina’s lightsabers. She spun around gracefully, as if dancing, and cleanly sliced Bane’s blaster in two. “I really wish people would stop calling us _**JEDI**_!”

Somina took the cue, and grabbed her remaining lightsaber, and ignited it. Cad Bane had fallen backwards out of surprise, and was out of her reach, but Somina could see two of the heavily-armored guards that had escorted them into Garratha’s palace charging towards her. She crouched low, letting her legs start to compress like springs, and when the two guards were within range, she leapt forward, the blade of the lightsaber sizzling through the air as she flew towards them, her rage and hatred flaring brighter and hotter than the plasma of the lightsaber blade ever could. She no longer had to bottle up her loathing of the Hutts, and it felt sensational to let loose.

Garratha was shrieking at the top of his lungs for his handlers to start rolling the gilded platform out of the main audience chamber and into his safe room adjoining the chamber, but two of them were currently charging headlong at Somina, and the remaining one wasn’t strong enough to move the monstrous platform and the even more monstrous Hutt sat upon it. Garratha flailed his tiny hands in the air in desperation, screaming for more guards. His eyes wide with terror, he was absolutely filled with the dread of knowing he was going to be next if his guards failed. He vowed to himself that if he survived, he would make certain Jabba knew of Cad Bane’s failure, and would see to it personally that Bane was eliminated for his disgrace.

Cad Bane himself, on the other hand, had more pressing matters to deal with at that moment. Enuma, rage flaring in her eyes, held Somina’s shorter lightsaber, it’s yellow blade’s glow making the red eyes of the Duros look even more alien. He’d fallen backwards in an attempt to dodge Enuma’s blow, and he’d managed to only lose a blaster in the process, but now he was down, scuttling away from Enuma’s large sweeps with the saber, deep slices in the floor showing where her sweeps hit, and where he’d only seconds before been sitting. “Kid, look, let’s make a deal, huh? Money? I can get you tons of it! What do you want? What do I gotta do to get you to stop?”

“WHAT I WANT,” Enuma shouted, enraged, “IS TO BE LEFT ALONE! Everywhere we go, someone is attacking us, and I want it ENDED! Can you give me that?”

“Sure, yes, I’ll get Jabba to back off, just stop trying to slice me into a dozen pieces!” Bane didn’t have to embellish his act much; he was more scared now than he’d been in a long time. He slowly, subtly, moved his hand towards his second blaster, still hanging in its holster on his belt. He had to keep distracting the girl, keep her focused on his face, until he could get ahold of the blaster and put a proper end to this farce of a bounty. “Anything you want, just let me go, alright?”

Enuma swung the saber around so that the very point of the blade hung millimeters from Bane’s throat. He could feel the heat from it, and he looked into eyes that wanted him dead, eyes that clearly had been harmed by people like him. He didn’t give a damn why she was doing what she was doing, however; all that mattered to him was that she was doing it to _him_. She held the blade there for seconds, though to Bane it felt like hours. Then, with one swift motion, she took the blade away from his throat and pointed with the blade to the exit. “Go.”

His hand now firmly held the blaster, and he tensed himself, ready to draw. “Thanks....” Then, as quickly as he could, he drew the blaster and leveled it directly at Enuma’s face. “…bitch!”

Enuma had felt a brief tremor in the Force just before this, though, and she was already moving to react, the blade whirling effortlessly as it sliced cleanly through Bane’s left wrist. The Duros collapsed down upon the smoking stump that had been his left arm, his scream of pain sounding some sort of bizarre alien music. Enuma knelt down, her face lit up with scorn, and took the wide-brimmed hat from atop Bane’s head, and placed it on her own. She stood once more, blade at the ready, and prepared to jump into the melee, ready to assist Somina. “Next time, I won’t be so generous. See to it that there is no next time.” Enuma pulled the brim of the hat down a little more, just slightly over her eyes, and then turned to wade into the pool of carnage.

Somina was holding her own just fine with the guards that were charging her. To her great surprise, her lightsaber could not penetrate the armor worn by the hulking guards, and she spent most of her time with them trying to keep from being punched or kicked by those same guards. She could feel the Force around and through her, and felt its amplification through her anger, so she wasn’t concerned about keeping away from their massive blows. She was, however, concerned as to how she would deal with them once she ran out of room to dodge, which was going to happen sooner rather than later. Her eyes shot around the room, looking for some sort of advantage, and they fell upon the large lighting catwalk above the platform on which Garratha flailed and screamed. There were large, powerful lights mounted on the catwalk, but more importantly than that, there were power cables that supplied the lights with energy. She backflipped out of the way of one of the guards’ wild swing, and then leapt straight upwards, using the power of the Dark Side of the Force to propel her to an incredible height, landing on the catwalk roughly twenty meters above the very confused guards.

Enuma, her blade whirling around like a lethal baton, slashed her way through the panicked crowd, trying desperately to get to Somina. She wasn’t trying to harm anyone, not really, but she found that a spinning blade of death tended to thin the crowds, and she needed to be able to move more than anything else. Her every thought, her only thought, was getting to Somina, and helping her to escape this mess. Enuma blamed herself for the collapse of the situation; she should have known better than to trust the hospitality of a Hutt. She would have to make it right, and the only way that could be done now was to get Somina and get out before things got too far out of control. The panicked crowds were already beyond their ability to control, so a rapid departure was necessary.

Somina, perched precariously on the catwalk above the seething, terrified crowd, sliced through one of the power cables feeding the lighting system, a shower of sparks cascading from the severed junction. Through the Force, she tore the lighting unit away from the railing it was mounted on, and hurled it down towards the guards. It slammed hard into one of them, knocking them back several meters. The guard slumped down as if unconscious immediately after it hit the ground, but its partner grabbed the blaster rifle it had strapped to its back and opened fire on her. She could feel the bolts hurtling towards her before they were even fired, so parrying them with the lightsaber was simple. She ducked down behind the next light over, grabbing the loose end of the power cable she’d cut through. It sparked a couple times as she lifted it, indicating it was still live. She tugged on it, seeing how much slack she’d have, and after finding there was a good several meters of slack to the cable, she took hold of the cable tightly about two meters away from the severed end, closed her eyes for just a moment, and then leapt from the catwalk, putting her faith in the Force.

Almost as if predestined, Somina flew through the air, rocketing towards the metal-clad guard that was firing desperately at her. She pushed her feet forwards, and as soon as they hit the guard, she pushed off from his torso, leaping clear of the area. As she flew clear, she reached out with the Force, and pushed the live power cable, the sparking, severed end first, into the face of the armored guard. Sheets of near-lightning coruscated over the body of the guard, who convulsed horribly as the considerable flow of power cooked it within its own armor. Finally, the cable fell to the ground, followed by the smoking, twitching corpse of the guard.

Enuma, her purloined hat sat atop her head like a massive sunshade, pirouetted through the remnants of Garratha's men, only striking those who tried to attack her. She watched Somina swing down from the catwalk, and electrocute the guard. She winced at the sound of the guard's scream, but she knew that it had given Somina no choice. Somina wasn't a murderer, and Enuma refused to believe otherwise. Yes, Somina would kill, but only when the situation demanded it, and never took any pleasure in it. Once the guard had slumped to the ground, expired, Enuma charged towards Somina, preparing for the inevitable confrontation with the Hutt himself.

The third guard, the one trying to push Garratha’s massive bulk into an adjoining room, saw the fate his comrades had suffered, and immediately ran away, it's cries of terror unlike anything Somina had ever heard before. Garratha spewed a hundred obscenities, in both the common language as well as Huttese, but within seconds, he was left alone in the chamber, alone with Somina and Enuma, and both looking extremely angry. He looked from one to the other, and back again, his mouth agape with fear and the overwhelming desire to be able to run, but saw no mercy in their eyes whatsoever. They were clearly not Jedi, and Garratha silently cursed himself for not properly sussing out information on the two that Jabba so reviled. Suddenly, it all made more sense to Garratha, and he knew he'd been played; Jabba would get what he wanted either way things went. If Garratha succeeded, then Jabba would have the Togruta and the Twi'lek to punish as he pleased. If he failed...well, then Jabba would have one less competitor. Garratha cursed silently as Somina and Enuma approached him.

“One last time, Garratha. Where is Starblade?” Somina wasn't playing games anymore. She was deadly serious, and Garratha knew he couldn't get away with lying to her this time. He had to figure out a way to save his own skin, and quickly.

“I told you the truth! Naran wouldn't sell, but...but I know where he took it! I can tell you where he has it based! Then you can go find it, or whatever Vader wants you to do. I can tell you, I really can!” Garratha felt odd, speaking the truth, but he knew the only thing that would save him would be to put the blame squarely on someone else.

Somina, her eyes nearly glowing with yellow-orange hatred, stood still, her blade at the ready, pointed straight at Garratha's forehead. “Here's the deal, then. You tell me where I can go to find it, and then I decide whether or not you get to slither out of here. Now, TALK!”

“ILUM! They took it to Ilum! There's some sort of ultra-secret project there that Naran's involved with. It's not officially Imperial, but the Empire has several top men on it. Naran is one of them, working for some guy named Snarg...Snert? I don't remember the name, but he's got it there, I swear it!”

“Why would someone on the run from the Empire set up a base on a world the Empire has locked down? It makes no sense?”

Garratha began to feel a little scornful. “I already told you, it's some secret project thing. They have a huge base there, it's really fantastic. They're working on something, I don't know what really, but they have Starblade there. Mounted on a corvette. I swear it, please, please don't kill me!”

Somina looked to Enuma, wanting to know her thoughts. Enuma's eyes told a tale, as they always did, but instead of the usual call for compassion, Enuma only showed icy hatred for the Hutt. Enuma nodded, knowing exactly what Somina was needing to know.

“Enjoy a coward's death, weakling!” Somina's arm swept forward and nearly cleaved the Hutt's head from his loathsome body. The body twitched several times, the tail and arms thrashing about wildly, but within a few moments, Garratha Talddmurdop was still.

The air was filled with the smell of ozone and charred meat. Somina and Enuma stood in silence for a moment. They knew, ultimately, that for them to have any chance of getting off Nal Hutta alive, they would have to eliminate Garratha. That, of course, did not make them feel any better about carrying out the execution, for that is what it was. Somina deactivated her saber, and held her hand out for Enuma to return the other one. Enuma switched it off and gave it back to Somina, who clipped them both onto her belt.

“I guess it's time for us to finish yours, as you've proven you can handle one well enough. Good thing that we're going to Ilum; I know of a couple places there we can hopefully find a good crystal for you.” Somina felt numb, as she always did when she had to take a life. It was for the best, and she knew it, but something inside her, something that she knew Vader would berate her for, knew it wasn't right.

“We...had to, yes? It had to be done, beloved, did it not?” Enuma asked, not sounding very sure of the answer.

“Yes. It had to be done,” Somina lied.

Without words, Somina and Enuma walked out of the palace, away from the compound, and back to the ship. The _Two-Hearts_ lifted off uneventfully, and they left Nal Hutta behind, both hoping that they would never have to return here again, but for some time, they just could not find words to say to each other.

As the ship lifted off, a shadowy figure near the landing pad moved out of the concealing darkness. The one known as Zathara stepped fully into the light that streamed down through the murky sky and into the open roof of the landing structure. She'd been tailing the two since they'd arrived on Nal Hutta, and witnessed the carnage in Garratha's palace. She did not feel any sorrow over the death of the Hutt; even among Hutts, Garratha was considered something of a sociopath, and ultimately his death benefitted some of her interests, even if it meant that her target lived to fight another day.

She'd watched the one that now called herself 'Somina' fight, and she'd been mildly impressed with how much she'd improved since the last time she'd seen her fight. It felt like centuries ago to Zathara, but this 'Somina', upstart that she was, still had quite a way to go before she would be of the caliber that Zathara herself had reached. Somina had only recently embraced the Dark Side, whereas Zathara had given herself over to it many years ago, and trained under impossibly difficult conditions, under psychotic masters, to become the warrior she had become, and she was not going to allow anyone, ESPECIALLY Ahsoka Tano, to take that away from her. Vader may have gifted his 'prize pupil' with the title of 'Darth', but only Zathara was going to truly deserve it.

And on that day, she would dance upon the smoking corpse of Ahsoka Tano, the ultimate victor in this grand game of chess.

 


	10. Chapter 10

(I’m so sorry this chapter has taken so long! In the time I’ve been working on this, I also published my first full length novel, “Allison’s Game”!  You can find it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Allisons-Game-Penumbra-Kylee-Ridley/dp/1521201099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495914958&sr=8-1&keywords=kylee+jain+ridley)

The _Two-Hearts_ had made its way into the Unknown Regions, leaving the “civilized” galaxy behind.  Somina knew where she was going; she’d been to Ilum on more than one occasion.  She felt confident in her memory of the coordinates of the world once held by the Jedi, and let the nav-computer take care of the steering of the ship.  She lay in bed, on her back, staring up at the ceiling, while Enuma’s head lay across her chest.  The Twi’lek was fast asleep, but Somina knew no rest.  The events of the last few days haunted her in both waking and sleep, and no amount of meditation could ease the doubt and anger.  She knew, ultimately, that to try and alleviate the effects of her emotions was not the way of the road she’d chosen to walk, but at the same time, her focus was essentially non-existent.

It was horrendous timing, as well. Ilum was no longer the Jedi’s world; it was controlled entirely by the Empire, as any world with any notable supply of kyber currently was.  The supply of crystals clearly was the only interest the Empire could possibly have in the remote system, as there was little of interest, either tactically or scientifically.   There was no tactical advantage to controlling Ilum, though Somina suspected that it gave the Emperor a certain degree of satisfaction knowing he’d wrested it away from the Jedi.  Not that there were many Jedi left to suffer from the loss; of the entire order, only she and Mace Windu remained, at least to her knowledge.  No one seemed to know the fate of Grand Master Yoda or Master Kenobi, and therefore Somina had to assume they’d met their fates as well.  Between the Imperial Inquisitors and Vader’s death squads, surely even Yoda could not hold out forever.

Perhaps, but on the rare quiet night, even Somina had to wonder.

The best thing about the Unknown Regions was the complete absence of quite literally anything. It generally meant quiet navigation, besides the occasional pirate attack, which the _Two-Hearts_ was more than prepared for.  It meant that a cautious captain could relax just a little, though Somina could not, even after making love with Enuma once again.  She’d enjoyed it, to be sure, and it had proved relaxing in the moment, but once Enuma fell fast asleep, as she often did after sex, Somina’s penchant for insomnia leapt to the fore.

Her thoughts wandered about the cosmos when sleep was not to be had, and occasionally, her thoughts would find their way to Anakin Skywalker. She knew, deep down, who Darth Vader really was, and when she looked at him, really looked at him with the Force as her lens, she did not see Anakin whatsoever.  It was entirely possible that Vader’s boast of having killed Anakin was true, from a certain point of view.  She couldn’t help but wonder, though, if the man he had once been, the man she’d once loved with all that she was, was still there, somewhere, buried under the hatred and tragedy that had forged the Dark Lord of the Sith.  If he was, if Anakin still somehow survived, he was nowhere to be found in the psyche of Darth Vader; even with Somina’s limited skills with the mind, it was clear there was no trace of him in Vader’s consciousness.

Her mind flashed back to Yavin 4, and the Sith temple. She remembered the trials Vader had put her through, and how it felt to see those she’d once cared about.  Seeing Anakin and feeling his touch for the first time as male and female, seeing Lux Bonteri and Barriss Offee again, after so many years…the emotions had been overwhelming.  It was simple enough to go with her passions then, only because she knew they were merely illusions.  Illusions that had taken her maidenhood, to be sure, but they were illusions all the same.

Her mind lingered on Barriss Offee. The betrayal was still fresh in her mind, even after all this time.  She could remember standing in the dock as clearly as if it were still happening.  She could also remember the feeling she had when Barriss confessed to what she’d done, when she knew that Barriss had fallen to the Dark Side, and had been taken away.  That was the last Somina had even known of Barriss’ fate; she didn’t even know if Barriss had fallen prey to Palpatine’s “Order 66”, like so many others had.  Even now, Somina missed the guidance of Master Plo Koon, though she was certain he would have considered her an enemy at this point.  Perhaps he would have tried to bring her back to the Light, and perhaps she might have managed to persuade him to join her.  It was all irrelevant mental clutter, but right now, it was all she had to keep herself from going mad.

Somina, as subtly and silently as she ever could, slid out from under the snoring Twi’lek and off the bed. Enuma did not stir, nor did the reverberating snore cease; Somina was glad, as she did not want to wake Enuma.  No, it was best that Enuma get some sleep, for what was to come would without a doubt be a harrowing encounter.  As for Somina herself, she found as of late that communion with the Force itself tended to yield better results than sleep, so she prepared to meditate.

Somina sat in the makeshift meditation chamber, on a small platform in the middle of the room. There was no sound coming in from the rest of the ship; she’d seen to it that this chamber was as completely soundproofed as it could possibly be.  It was also an unspoken rule on the _Two-Hearts_ that no one inside the room was to ever be disturbed, save for a life-or-death situation.  Here, Somina could clear her mind of all clutter and baggage, and allow her consciousness to intertwine with the Force.

Images started to reveal themselves in her mind. She saw a dark figure, carrying two red-bladed lightsabers, and it looked as if the dark figure was pursuing someone.  Somina did not recognize the person, and they were helmeted and masked in a fashion similar to that of Darth Vader himself.  Perhaps it was one of the Empire’s Inquisitors, but that would not pose much threat to her.  No, there was a greater malice at play here, and Somina could sense the murderous intent behind the mask of the dark figure. 

Somina next saw Enuma, her face contorted in rage, torrents of electricity cascading from her hands. She could not make out what Enuma was saying, but she could sense that Enuma was enraged at someone just out of sight.  Somina did not recognize the place where Enuma stood; only that it was a great marsh, with great trees dripping with moss of some sort.  Enuma stood waist-deep in stagnant water, and the electrical bolts that came from her fingertips made little puffs of steam as they crackled across the water’s surface.

Then, without warning, Somina stood before a massive, black pyramid, underneath a broken sky. The sound of Darth Vader’s respirator filled her senses, and a feeling of dread overtook her.

Somina’s eyes opened, and she was once more back in the meditation chamber aboard the ship. She did not know how long she’d been in here, but she found herself shaking with fear and rage.  What did all of that mean?  Was it literal or symbolic?  Ever since her encounter with the Daughter, back on Mortis, the Force spoke to her in odd ways.

The air felt oddly cold on her bare skin, even more so than it usually did. Somina liked to keep the temperature inside the meditation chamber fairly low, as Enuma tended to keep the temperature in the rest of the ship relatively high, being used to the environment of a smog-choked, overheated Hutt world.  She also felt far more tense than normal, the tension even extending into her lekku.  She rarely had such tension in her body, but it was tension that matched the tension in her mind.  Something, somewhere, was very wrong, and in time, she would have to deal with it.

Somina left the confines of the meditation chamber, quietly shutting the soundproofed hatch after her. The ship was still silent, except for the distant drone of Enuma’s snore.  Somina walked slowly back towards their quarters, catching a glimpse of her reflection in a metal panel along the way.  The reflection was faint, and slightly distorted, but even in the less-than-ideal surface, she looked powerful.  Her athletic body looked more muscular than she’d even known herself to be, even though her feminine curves were still clearly apparent.  Her lekku were lush and healthy, and her montrals had become far taller than she’d noticed before.  She barely recognized herself, but the yellow-orange of her eyes especially caught her attention.  On a couple of prior occasions, Enuma had told her that her eyes had changed color, but every time Somina managed to look, they’d become her normal blue.  Now, the fiery color seemed to stay, and Somina was fine with the change.  After all, was she not a different person than she was back on Coruscant, or even Praxigor?  Had Ahsoka Tano actually ceased to exist, to be replaced with Darth Somina?  If so, then perhaps she understood Vader better than she had at first realized.

Somina turned and twisted a bit in the reflective surface, examining herself from every possible angle. She’d never really realized what a beauty she’d become, if only because she’d spent most of her life up until this point concerned only with survival and staying out of the sight of the Empire.  Ironically, it was her partial alignment with the Empire itself that had led to the life she now had, and the lover with whom she shared a bed.  Perhaps at one time, what she was doing would have seemed somehow wrong, but in the current day, where she was, it all felt so…right.  What Vader had taught her made sense, and she’d grown stronger because of it.  She’d gained so much, and lost so little; how could it be wrong?

The answer, Somina decided, was incredibly simple; it _wasn’t_ wrong.

Somina could remember a time when she considered Master Shaak Ti the paragon of Togruta grace. Now, she saw herself in that same role, and it felt right.  She would show the galaxy what a true Togruta paragon, and a true Sith, was really like, and those who would stand against her would tremble.   Perhaps that would come to pass, but Somina knew that before the herds of nerfs could be put in their place, it would be to her advantage to cease being naked.

Somina grimly accepted that there would be no more sleep, and wearily made her way back into the quarters she shared with Enuma. The Twi’lek continued to snore like a rancor, so Somina knew that there would be no waking her for quite a while.  Still, she tried her best to remain quiet as she dressed, wondering just what the Force was trying to tell her.

Far from the _Two-Hearts_ , aboard the massive vessel _Eclipse_ , the Emperor of the galaxy opened his eyes abruptly.  He rarely ever slept, for when he did, he was haunted by ghosts from another time, another life.  He could remember a time when he was but the apprentice, and the “wise” Darth Plagueis his master.  He could also remember a time when he slew his master, as was tradition for the Sith and it’s Rule of Two.  Of all the memories that gave Palpatine pleasure, the memory of the life slowly fading from the eyes of that accursed Muun was certainly near the top of the list.

It was not, however, pleasant memories that disrupted his sleep on this night. A strange tremor in the Force had shaken him from the blissful oblivion of sleep, and though there was something strangely familiar about it, he did not know where it had come from, or what it could have meant.  He sat up on the bed he’d had specially installed within his quarters on the _Eclipse_ , his head hanging slightly.  His hair was white as the snows of Hoth, and the horrific disfigurements of his face were even more apparent without his usual hood pulled down low.

There was something frustratingly familiar about the tremor, a feeling he knew he’d felt before. The question was, of course, when?  As a Senator, then Chancellor, and finally Emperor, he’d come into contact with hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals.  Admittedly, since founding the Galactic Empire, he’d been far more selective on who received an audience, but even so, each individual he met left some sort of impression, and doubly so for Force-sensitives.

“A Jedi,” Palpatine muttered to himself. That had to be it, but which one?  Which of the Jedi unaccounted for could have eluded both Vader and the Inquisitors?  Perhaps Yoda might have slipped through the cracks, but who else was left?

There was something about this potential Jedi that didn’t make any sense, though. The power that he’d felt as he became aware of the tremor was not the sort of power a Jedi wielded; it was purely of the Dark Side of the Force.  Not as powerful as the call he’d felt coming from the Unknown Regions, but surprisingly powerful nevertheless.  Palpatine was not aware of any Force-sensitives trained and deployed by his Empire that had such strength and conviction.  Indeed, it was power that rivaled even that of Vader himself.

And then, in an instant, Emperor Palpatine, the one true Lord of the Sith, realized where he’d felt this before. The Jedi had stood before him, on trial for treason and terrorism against the Republic.  Once he knew this truth, it was not a long leap of logic to determine how such a Jedi could have such power in the Dark Side.  He slid off the bed and pulled his robe on, pulling the hood over his face, as was customary.  He took up the walking stick, itself an ancient Sith artifact, that sat nearby.  It amused him to think of all the people that believed he, the Lord of the Sith, was frail and weak.  He did not need the stick to move about freely, but it suited his purposes to engender the belief that he was little more than a weak, withered, old man.

He pressed a button on a nearby tactical panel, one that constantly updated him as to the condition and location of the _Eclipse_.  “Yes, Your Majesty?”  The voice of the _Eclipse’s_ commanding officer came over the speaker.

“Lord Vader, the Emperor commands that you make contact with him.” The very last words Darth Vader wanted to hear were the words that the captain of the _Executor_ had just said to him.  This captain had a degree of boldness Vader was unaccustomed to, but he was sure he’d have him broken soon, just like every other captain the _Executor_ had previously had.

Vader turned away from the captain, returning to his sanctum. “Hold this position, Captain.  And in the future, do not assume your standing so high that you may convey the Emperor’s will yourself.”  Vader stopped, and turned back towards the young captain.  “Many have found themselves…speechless…when making the assumption that they are beyond my grasp.”

The captain swallowed loudly, and Vader took a small degree of satisfaction in that. After all, the crew that operates out of fear operates the most efficiently and reliably.  So long as this captain understood who was the master of the vessel, and he behaved with the appropriate deference, Vader had no interest in executing him.  Vader had grown bored of killing subordinates, but fear was his best weapon.  He would cultivate it as long as the legend of the Empire’s monster persisted.

Fear didn’t cross his mind though, as he strode towards his personal quarters. This was the only place in the galaxy where Vader could be alone.  Even in his fortress on Mustafar, overlooking his birthplace, there were sycophants and underlings everywhere.  Other humans irritated Darth Vader to no end, further widening the gap between the man he’d once been, and the monster he now was.  Only here, on the Executor, could he find any time alone.  Even there, though, he could not escape the call of his master.  Palpatine would expect an immediate response to his command, and Vader intended to provide it.  Deep in his withered, scarred heart, Vader longed for the day when Emperor Palpatine breathed his last, and perhaps then Vader could actually find some sort of peace.  Though he didn’t truly understand the warp and weft of Sith sorcery, he knew that Palpatine used it to maintain an iron grip on all of his servants, especially Darth Vader.

One day, however…but that was in Somina’s hands now.

He entered the private holocomm chamber, and knelt down upon the actuator pad, which began to glow upon contact. Within seconds, an image of the face of the Emperor hovered in the middle of the room.  Vader remained on one knee, his head bowed as low as his armor would allow.  “What is your bidding, my master?”

Palpatine cackled; a horrific, choking sound. “You have attempted to deceive me, Lord Vader.  I have warned you before of the futility of such action, but it seems my words went unheeded.”

Vader froze for an instant, but forced himself to remain without thought or emotion. This was dangerous territory; he hadn’t thought Palpatine would be on to his plans so quickly.  He would have to be extremely cautious, for if he incurred the wrath of the Emperor, he would meet a most painful, horrible end, and he knew it.

Vader remained silent, and Palpatine continued. “I have felt a tremor in the Force, a most powerful source of the Dark Side, one I did not initially recognize.  I have determined that you have in your service a former Jedi, one that I seem to remember imprisoning for treason once before.  What do you have to say on this, Lord Vader?”

Vader did everything he could to shield himself from Palpatine’s probing, but he knew there was no way he could repel his master for long. “It is true.  I have found a former Jedi that has turned fully to the Dark Side and pledged her service to me, and through me, to you, my master.”

Palpatine smiled, a horrific, toothy visage of crinkled skin. “Of course.  Then this Jedi has no illusions about her purpose, I assume?  She does not believe she is Sith, as Dooku’s ‘apprentice’ did, does she, Lord Vader?”

“No, my master. There are only ever two.  A master and an apprentice.”

“And who is the master, Lord Vader?” That horrific smile.

Suddenly, the force of a thousand stellar masses of gravity seemed to crush Vader’s armor downwards. He knew he was being tested, and he did his best to resist the unrelenting force.  “You…are…master.”

“Good. Good.”  The force vanished, and Vader found he could move again.  “Bring this…Zathara…to me, aboard the Eclipse.  I wish to…question her.”

Darth Vader hadn’t uttered a sigh of relief since long before leaving the Jedi Order, but if he had been capable of doing so in that moment, he would surely have considered it. He hadn’t expected any part of his plans to be discovered, but if somehow Palpatine had overlooked Somina in favor of Zathara, then perhaps all was not yet lost.  As long as Somina remained a secret, his plans could move forward.

And if all he need do was to throw Zathara to the gundarks, so be it.

On the other side of the galaxy, the _Two-Hearts_ slid quietly into orbit around Ilum.  Somina looked at the world she’d been to many times, and barely recognized it.  All over the planet, massive construction platforms, themselves nearly the size of a small moon, were working on building something, or possibly several somethings, on a scale more massive than anything Somina had ever seen before.  All around the Empire-held world were massive _Imperial_ -class Star Destroyers, numbering in the dozens.  She’d never seen such a massive collection of space vessels and operational platforms, at least not since the Clone Wars.

Enuma, fully awake and dressed, was utterly transfixed to the forward viewport. Her expression was one of awe and wonder, having never seen such things before.  She’d only ever heard of Star Destroyers, but to see so many was beyond her capacity to describe.  There were whole worlds’ worth of the artifice of the Empire, and Enuma was ill-prepared to take it all in.

“Such things…surely the Empire is invincible, if they can do this.” Enuma’s awe was apparent in her speech.  “It is well that you are Sith, beloved, for if the Emperor is capable of such things, he is mighty indeed.”

Somina found herself recoiling slightly at Enuma’s almost-reverent attitude towards Palpatine. It was a gut reaction, of course, for she knew that even with the history that she and Palpatine had, she had little choice but to respect the Emperor’s power and authority.  He controlled the galaxy, however directly or indirectly it may be, and she was now his agent, whether she liked it or not.  She worked for Vader, and Vader worked for Palpatine.  It was really that simple, and as long as she operated under the radar and did her job, Vader would look good, and Palpatine would continue to favor him.

“He is mighty, Enuma, but it is not his might that has brought this into being, but his mind. The Emperor is brilliant as well as powerful.”  Somina tried to sound like another Imperial true-believer, but it was incredibly difficult for her to sell such an act when she could clearly remember a time Palpatine wanted her executed.

“Beloved, does admiration for the Emperor offend you?” Enuma always seemed to be able to circumnavigate Somina's mental defenses and cut straight to the heart of the issue.

“I believe he is the absolute ruler of the Empire, and as such, he's our liege. As Sith, we're bound to him through my master as well.  But I don't _like_ him, Enuma, and I don't trust him.  There's been too much in the past for me to ever be able to trust him.”

Enuma laughed, a deep-down hearty laugh. “I do not trust anyone who is not you, beloved.”

Somina smiled, sliding her arms around Enuma's belly. “It's just us against the galaxy, I guess.”

Enuma took hold of Somina's hands and smiled. “I would not have it any other way.”

A voice crackled to life over the ship's communications system. “Unidentified ship, you are in restricted space.  Identify yourself and prepare to transmit clearance codes or be boarded.”

Somina flipped the transmitter to life. “This is Imperial vessel _Two-Hearts_ on a mission for Lord Vader.  Transmitting our clearance codes now.”  Somina punched in one of the sequences she'd gotten from Vader's underlings, and held her breath.

After a few tense moments where neither Somina nor Enuma dared speak a word, the voice came back over the comm. “ _Two-Hearts_ , you are clear for planetary approach.  Do not deviate from vector seven seven zero.  You will be met at Landing Pad Omicron.”

Somina finally breathed in, not wanting to relax too much just yet. “ _Two-Hearts_ confirms.  Inbound for Omicron. _Two-Hearts_ out.”

The ship quickly slipped through the thin atmosphere of Ilum, and as they got closer to the planet’s surface, Somina noticed that there was quite a bit of work in process _on_ the planet as well as around it.  Huge construction towers and massive land-moving machines littered the landscape around the primary Imperial base.  From what Somina could see, there seemed to be a massive trench dug into Ilum’s surface, far larger than anything intended for mining, and that in turn led to a monstrous pit, seemingly plunging into darkness, bored deep into the planet’s crust.  Massive spires and structures lined the trench and the huge pit, none of which really attested to their purpose.

“I wonder what all that is for,” Somina mused. “I’ve never seen so much construction.”

“Are they planning to colonize Ilum, beloved?” Enuma made a good point; usually this much work meant a world was being prepared for inhabitation.  It was an odd choice of worlds, though, unless it was all part of the Empire’s kyber mining initiative.  Ilum had one of the richest known supplies of the rare but potent crystals, and it would make sense to construct quarters and facilities for miners and refinery workers, and yet there was something about the way these trenches, pits and buildings were arranged that suggested to Somina they were not miners’ quarters.

“Perhaps. I don’t really know, Enuma.  Maybe we can ask our contact here, once we find him.”

The ship landed softly upon the landing pad, one of the pads nearest to the massive pit. From there, they could see the enormous, gaping hole in the planet’s face, easily as wide as a large city and deeper than they were able to see.  Everywhere they looked, Imperial shuttles, mining freighters and cargo ships zoomed this way and that, creating an area of traffic that reminded Somina of days on Coruscant.  Whatever was going on here was a big, big deal, and though Somina didn’t know what that could be, she was bound and determined to find out.

Service droids began tending to the ship as the ramp lowered, and the primary airlock doors hissed open. Somina, once more clad in black, and Enuma with her, walked down the ramp to meet an Imperial officer that stood a few meters from the bottom of the ramp.  She was a tall woman, her dark hair apparently up under her uniform’s hat.  Two Stormtroopers, one on either side of her, waited silently, their blaster rifles at the ready.

“Lady Somina, I believe?” The woman’s voice was friendly, yet not excessively so.  For someone stationed at such a remote outpost, the officer seemed to be of surprisingly good cheer.  Somina nodded to her, her face somewhat visible underneath her hood.  “I am Commander Verex, the senior officer of this outpost.  If you’ll come with me?”  Verex gestured towards a nearby building.   Verex turned on her heels and immediately started walking at a brisk pace to the building, and Somina followed, with Enuma bringing up the rear of the small procession.

They entered the nearby building, which turned out to be an office facility. It was spartan in décor, as most Imperial outposts tended to be, but once they had entered what had to be Verex’s personal office, the décor changed considerably.  There were pictures on the wall of Verex as a cadet at the Imperial Academy, and Verex standing with Imperial luminaries like Wilhuff Tarkin. The picture of Tarkin made Somina’s blood boil just slightly, but she put that impulse in check, as the time had not yet come for her vengeance on Tarkin.  She would, in time, pay the man back for destroying her old life, but for the moment, she was far too busy living the current one.

Verex strode casually behind her small desk, and gestured for Somina and Enuma to sit in the comfortable-looking chairs set in front of the desk. Somina and Enuma sat, and Verex joined them, sitting in the high-backed chair behind the desk.  “Welcome to Imperial Ilum, Lady Somina and…I’m sorry, I don’t know the name of your companion.”

“Enuma,” the Twi’lek said, with a smile.

“Enuma. A lovely name.”  Verex was different from many of the Imperial officers Somina had met, in that her congeniality seemed to actually be sincere.  Verex seemed almost jovial comparatively, and Somina was puzzled that someone so different from the norm could actually be successful in the Imperial military.  She would have to get to know this Commander Verex better.  “Now, before we get to business…gentlemen, please close the door.  Assume your posts, if you would.”  The Stormtroopers, now flanking the door to Verex’s office, stood outside of the office and shut the metal door behind them, sealing with a click.  “They’re good men, but they’re not privy to Lord Vader’s plans.”

Somina nodded her assent, glad to be getting down to the matter at hand. Social situations, even ones such as this, had long been a problem for her.  Having been on the run for so many years, Somina had all but forgotten how to trust anyone, much less sit still long enough to converse at length.  Even the old Rodian back on Praxigor, who constantly wanted to gossip, was greeted with relative indifference.

“Now, I appreciate the fact that you’ve come quite a long way, but it is as I have already informed Lord Vader; Chozai isn’t here, at least not in any Imperial facility. Starblade is extremely outdated technology, and was something that the Emperor himself ordered scrapped.  His Majesty is actually quite the imaginative one, with all the huge projects he’s ordered designed, created, and deployed.”  Verex pressed her fingertips together, forming a rough triangle with her hands.  “I’m told that a new project, one code-named ‘Stardust’, has met final approval, one that should prove quite a formidable asset for the Empire.”

“It seems that the Empire has many projects going _here_ as well,” Somina noted.

“Oh yes, but that’s neither my concern, nor my jurisdiction, Lady Somina, in case you felt like asking about the gargantuan hole nearby. I’m afraid I’m as in the dark on the matter as you.”  Verex’s smile became thin, almost a smirk.  “Now, though Chozai is not on Ilum, some of his notes are, and I’ve taken the liberty of gathering them up for you to review.  Darth Vader is not one I’m keen to disappoint, and I extend such courtesy to his associates.”

Verex produced a large pile of datacards from a drawer in her desk, some with hastily scrawled labels in Aurebesh, some in a script unfamiliar to Somina, and some not labeled at all. She slid them gingerly across the desk’s smooth surface, without a single card falling.  Somina grinned at the display of dexterity.  “Thank you, Commander.  I will make certain to review these as soon as possible.”

Verex’s smile returned to the normal, genial smile she’d worn nearly the entire time Somina had been in her presence. “Now, I know that you’d requested a bit of time with your companion out in the old kyber fields, and Lord Vader has given his approval, but I must ask that you be extremely careful.  The areas around where we believe the old Jedi temple to be are unstable due to the construction efforts.  Unfortunately, we’ve had to blast some areas with quantum detonators to break through some of the mineral deposits.  Use caution, and don’t be afraid to contact us for backup if things get dicey.”  Verex pressed her fingertips back together into the rough triangle.  “Now, please consider joining me for dinner tonight.  I’ve arranged for a small welcoming celebration for you.”

Somina’s face crinkled with disbelief. Perhaps Verex was only being considerate, but rarely had any officer associated with Darth Vader been so generous, or so good-humored.  Still, she was somewhat hungry, and she knew that  Enuma lacked her self-control, so perhaps a meal with the men wouldn’t be such a terrible idea.  “We would love to join you.”

“Excellent. We’ll send someone to your ship to escort you.  Until then, please feel free to have a look around.  Lord Vader has asked that you be given every consideration.”

“I thank you, Commander. Until later.”  Somina rose from her seat and bowed slightly to Verex.  The gesture was returned, and Somina turned to depart, Enuma immediately after.  They’d left the building and gotten halfway back to the ship when Somina turned to Enuma, only to see Enuma’s face tightened with anger.

“She was flirting with you.” Perhaps not anger, but jealousy, colored Enuma’s normally jovial features.  “I should show her how to be more respectful to…”

“You’ll do nothing of the sort. She wasn’t flirting with me,” Somina interrupted.

“Beloved, you are naïve when it comes to such things. She was clearly interested in you.”

Somina stopped dead at that. Did Enuma actually just call her naïve?  Her eyes narrowed slightly, though she tried hard to keep from becoming angry at the jealous Twi’lek.  “Perhaps, but she wasn’t aware that we’re together.”

“That may be, beloved, but I still do not trust her. I saw the lust for you in her eyes.”

Somina turned back towards the ship. “Then you are far more observant than I, because all I saw was someone giving us information.”  She started to trudge back to the ship, suddenly weary, as if gravity itself had exhausted her supply of energy.  “I think I’m going to lay down for a little while.  You coming?”

Enuma, still fuming, shook her head. “No.  I will go back to the ship, but I am upset.  I will find something to do.”

Somina shrugged, and walked away. “Suit yourself,” she muttered.

Enuma crossed her arms and huffed, but Somina did not turn around to see. It was strange, the overwhelming feeling of lethargy that had suddenly come over her.  It was worrisome, but Somina didn’t care much at that moment.  She and Enuma had had their fair share of arguments, but this wasn’t like their usual fights.  There was something else at play here, something unexpected; it was almost as if an outside force was influencing them.

Somina made it back to their bed, and crashed down hard, falling asleep almost as soon as she hit the mattress. Enuma, on the other hand, sat down in the command chair in the navigation module.  She was fidgety and restless, for she too could sense something not right about their argument.  Somina seemed to have all the life drained from her in the span of a couple minutes, and this worried Enuma.  Somina was always energetic, even when having gone without sleep for days.  Somina’s connection with the Force was deep enough that she never seemed weary, so seeing her become exhausted so quickly suggested danger, and yet Enuma could not sense any disruptions in the Force around them.

No sooner had Enuma sit down that the incoming signal indicator began to flash on the ship’s communications panel. Enuma quickly patched it through to the command headset, and placed the headset, designed to fit Somina more than her, upon her head, the output speakers over her ears.  The garbled sounds of what sounded to Enuma to be a hysterical Wookiee came through, and Enuma began fiddling with the communications panel, attempting to clear the signal up enough to understand what was being said.

Finally, after a hectic few seconds, the signal cleared up enough for Enuma to recognize the voice of Liakykam, the Wookiee she’d met on Mon Cala. Liak seemed frenzied, as if terrified.  The Wookiee spoke far too quickly and loudly for Enuma to make out every word, but she could pick out the basics.  “What do you mean, you had a nightmare?” Enuma asked.

The Wookiee’s growling, roaring and rumbling continued at a frenzied pace as Enuma struggled to keep up with her. “A weird voice told you to have me come to the Dagobah system with you?  My, that _is_ odd.”  Liak rumbled what clearly seemed like agreement.  “I will have to wait for Somina to wake up, Liak.  I cannot just leave her here.”  Liak roared once more, the speed of which was more panicked than the other sounds she had made.  “No, Liak, the escape pods will not get me back to Mon Cala.  Once Somina awakens, I will ask her to bring me to Mon Cala, and we can see about this nightmare.”  The Wookiee sounded distraught, but seemed to know Enuma would not be swayed.  “I will see you soon, my friend.  Be well.”

Enuma closed the connection over the comm system, and sighed as she settled deeper into the command seat. Her life had never been boring, but perhaps it was starting to get a little _too_ exciting for her taste.  For the first time since being liberated from the Hutts, she was unsure of where her life was going, and where her relationship with Somina really stood.  Of course, Enuma was hardly alone in this sentiment.

The helmet shattered as it impacted against the bulkhead. The image of Darth Vader had minutes ago vanished, and Zathara was enraged.  He had not requested, but _commanded_ her to come aboard the _Executor_ , at which time he was to bring her before the Emperor.  Now, from the beginning of their unorthodox master/apprentice relationship, Vader had been adamant that for his plans to come to fruition, she had to remain out of the Emperor’s notice.  Now, he was bringing her to the Emperor on a durasteel platter.  Darth Vader had sold her out to his master, and she knew what would happen next.  If she was fortunate, she would be swiftly executed.  If she was less fortunate, stories had circulated since the dawn of the Empire of what Palpatine had done to those who displeased him.  None of them were pleasant, and all of them were carried out horrifically slowly by those the Emperor had specially trained for such purposes.

Why, she wondered, would Vader sell her out? Had she not carried out his instructions, to the tiniest detail?  Had she not kept herself hidden, her identity secret, as he had instructed?  Had she not kept herself invisible, even to her most hated nemesis?  Why then, she could not help but wonder, would Vader have condemned her so?  She often had days that she regretted the deal she’d made back then, when she was imprisoned, but none compared to the regret and abject rage that she felt on this day.  The one being alive that Zathara felt she could trust, and he betrayed her as well.

 _Somehow_ , she thought, _Ahsoka has something to do with this_.  It could only be her.  Perhaps Vader fancied her more than Zathara, but she’d never once seen Vader show even the slightest interest in any living being, much less a hideous freak of a Togruta like Ahsoka Tano.  No, she was quite certain Vader had no sexual interests whatsoever, regardless of what may or may not be under the armor.  It certainly could not be because Ahsoka was more powerful; Zathara had seen her parlor tricks, and was not concerned.  Ahsoka possessed the potency of a lizard monkey.  No, in every way, Zathara was superior to Ahsoka, so why was _she_ the one on the chopping block?

From where she stood, Zathara reached her hand out, throwing every trace of her rage into her concentration. As she did, several fragments of the shattered helmet flew from their resting place near the aft bulkhead and embedded themselves in the hull opposite where Zathara stood, with a sound like thunder as each fragment slammed into the durasteel wall.  She stood there, her breathing loud and labored, a scowl of loathing and hatred on her face.

“I will _END_ you for this, Ahsoka Tano!”

Somina’s eyes snapped open suddenly, without warning. Something palpable, something very real, seemed to be cascading through the Force.  A sudden surge of Dark Side energy washed through her mind, like the ripples from a massive boulder crashing into the sea.  The power was familiar to Somina, somehow, but she could not place it.  This was happening far too many times to be accidental.

Several hours later, Zathara’s small one-man starfighter, a modified Y-wing fighter given to her by Vader, came out of hyperspace near the rendezvous point Vader had given her. She’d preferred the Y-wing to the TIE prototypes Vader himself was partial to, if only because of their familiarity.  She’d flown a couple of them during the Clone Wars, back before her life had been destroyed by the reviled Ahsoka Tano, and she could appreciate the kick their hyperdrive was capable of putting out, in addition to the massive load of ordnance she stocked it with.  The fighter had no name, and needed none.  It was simply Zathara’s cosmic chariot of death, and that is all it needed to be.

Far off, to the starboard side of the fighter, was a massive starship that Zathara recognized as the _Executor_.  She knew Vader was bringing his flagship to the rendezvous point, and she laid in her heading to intercept and dock with the monstrous starship.  From there, she did not know where Vader planned to take her, but she was not going to disobey a direct order from as strict a disciplinarian as Darth Vader tended to be.  The massive Super Star Destroyer grew larger and larger as Zathara’s fighter approached, and she sharply breathed in as she began to realize just how enormous the vessel was.  It was easily as massive as a dozen Imperial-class Star Destroyers; how anyone had managed to construct something so ridiculously huge was beyond even her reckoning, though she knew of Palpatine’s fondness for clear messages of supremacy.  She could appreciate the way the Emperor wielded fear as a Jedi would wield a lightsaber.  Fear to Palpatine was a weapon, a tool, and above all else, something to be controlled.  He understood fear as few did, and that is why Zathara found herself begrudgingly admiring the Emperor; she could learn much even from his apprentice, if not from the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.

The fighter pulled into the docking bay that the _Executor’s_ control had directed her to, and as she climbed out of the cockpit upon the canopy’s opening, she found herself met by several odd-looking, black Stormtroopers.  They did not speak, but they gestured for Zathara to follow them, and she did as instructed.  She’d heard of the Death Troopers before; though they were slowly being phased out by Imperial recruitment efforts, they were still utilized for tight security situations as well as escorting powerful and influential Imperial officers when on away missions.  She had no doubt that she could eliminate every last one of them if she could get out in the open, but now was not the time for making a scene.  Vader had summoned her, and that was all that mattered.

The Death Troopers escorted Zathara to the bridge of the massive ship, and at the large window that overlooked the monstrous ship stood Darth Vader, looking out into the cosmos, the sound of his resipirator clearly heard over the hushed murmur of the command crew. Everyone knew the unspoken rule; when Vader was on the bridge, you kept quiet and you did your job.  Even Zathara could respect that, for she herself generally did not speak unless spoken to during her dealings with her master.

Zathara knelt down before Vader, who continued to gaze out into space, his expressionless mask and mechanical breathing telling no tale about his mood or state of mind. When at last he spoke, it was brief.  “You have come.”  Vader’s hand waved the Death Troopers off, and they turned as one and walked off.  “This is not for their ears.”

Zathara, clad in her armor, with her backup helmet secured, spoke in a reverent tone, as was befitting her master. “What do you wish of me, master?”

“Your emotions betray you, Zathara. I can sense your rage; it tears at its cage like a wounded beast driven mad with pain.”  His tone had no inflection, no emphasis.  It was as mechanical as he appeared to be.  He did not turn to look upon her either, and this struck her as unusual.

“Have I failed you, master?”

Vader was silent for a moment. “The Emperor has sensed your presence.  He has commanded me to bring you before him.”

Zathara remained silent. She had no reply to that statement, at least none that would be tolerated by Vader.  She remained on one knee, unmoving and as unexpressive as Vader.

“The Emperor will decide what is to become of you.” Finally, Vader slowly turned to face Zathara, the death mask aimed directly at her.  “There have been many disturbances in the Force lately.  Somehow, the Emperor has sensed you as the source of some of them.”  Vader’s right hand suddenly shot up from his side, clenched in a deadly claw.  At that moment, Zathara felt herself being pulled up off the ground by her neck, an invisible power clutching her with a grip of steel.  “What did I tell you, Zathara?  What were my instructions?”

“Stay…hidden…remain unseen…unknown…” She could only choke out a few words as her trachea was crushed under inhuman pressure.

“And yet somehow, the Emperor senses you from the other side of the galaxy. You did not remain unseen _or_ unknown.  How did this happen?  What would cause you to generate such a ripple in the Force?”

“Hatred.”

Vader’s hand unclenched, and Zathara fell to the ground. She gasped for air as hard as she could, the shriek of her breathing echoing through the now-silent bridge.  “Hatred for whom?”

Zathara climbed to her feet, her gaze now locked with his. “Ahsoka Tano.”

“I see.” Vader turned away again.  “Go.  Leave me.  When we arrive at the Emperor’s vessel I will send for you.”

Somina nearly jumped off the bed as she awoke with a start. She found herself disoriented, unsure of where she was, or what time it was.  She looked around instinctively, looking for Enuma, who was nowhere to be found.  The ship was uncharacteristically silent.  She slid off the bed, landing cautiously on her feet, and began to quietly search the area.  Something felt _wrong_ , somehow.  She’d learned early on to trust her gut instincts, and everything she felt said that something was just not right.

Suddenly, Somina turned around, and she found herself inside an old factory, one that seemed more familiar to her than it should be. Too many signs were pointing to a very troubling time in her life, and she found herself distinctly uncomfortable with it.

From far above her, on a platform near what appeared to be some sort of smelting unit, a dark, shadowy figure ignited two red-bladed lightsabers.

 _Ventress?_ Somina thought.

_No. Not Ventress.  This is Coruscant.  Ventress had just left when I was attacked._

The shadowy figure leapt from the higher platform, lightsabers swinging. Somina easily dodged the wild swings, far more ably than she had as a girl.  The attacker pressed on, swinging the sabers as if they weren’t actually trained in a dual-blade technique.

_Barriss._

Somina remembered how apparently Barriss Offee had taken Asajj Ventress unawares, stolen her lightsabers, and then turned around and attacked her. She hadn’t known this at the time, and had no reason to think that Barriss, whom Somina had believed a friend, would have been the one behind the attack on the Jedi Temple as well as the attacks on both Ventress and herself.

However, the sizzle of the red blade as it careened past her lek reminded her that sometimes, you just had to live in the moment. She turned and ignited her own blades, though for some reason, hers were red-bladed as well, as opposed to the familiar green and yellow blades she had used before.  She smiled evilly, and then lunged for her attacker.  It was only a few seconds before Somina’s superior skill put her attacker on the defensive.  She was using her stamina far more efficiently than her opponent; the shadowy figure was showing signs of tiring out.  Somina pressed the attack harder, driving her opposition towards a steep drop into the hungry darkness of the bowels of Coruscant.  The attacker parried as many blows as she could, but Somina’s speed was too much to keep up with, and eventually, Somina managed to exploit a hole in her assailant’s defenses, severing her enemy’s left leg just below the knee.  The figure fell to the ground with a clearly-feminine scream, dropping her blades in the process.  Somina deactivated her lightsabers as well, and approached the figure laying on the ground.  Her attacker writhed in agony, clutching the cauterized stump and swearing profusely.

“DO IT! FINISH ME!”  An electronically-altered voice cried out from the helmeted figure.  Somina once more drew one of her blades, and igniting it to life, held the tip dangerously close to the front of the figure’s helmet.  “DO IT, COWARD!”

Somina swept the blade swiftly along the helmet’s seam, breaking it open. The smoldering halves of the helmet fell to the floor, and revealed the yellow face of a Mirialan with a familiar diamond pattern tattooed on her face.  The face wasn’t that of someone in pain, or in terror, but instead, Barriss Offee laughed.  Her mocking laughter echoed throughout the vast foundry.  “YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME BEFORE _HE_ FINDS _HER_!”

Somina heard a horrifying cackle coming from somewhere unseen, and Enuma’s familiar scream shortly after. Somina’s attention turned from Barriss for less than a second, but when she turned her gaze back, Barriss was gone.  The entire foundry was gone, and Somina stood in her quarters aboard the _Two-Hearts_ , a lightsaber impaling a pillow.


	11. Chapter 11

Zathara was enraged. If the Spartan accommodations she’d been given had had any sort of ornamentation, it was like she would have destroyed it. Vader had always been cold and distant, but she had barely been noticed by him that last time. She wasn’t even sure what it was that she had done wrong. In fact, she had done everything that Vader had asked of her, and acted with far more discretion than was requested. Even now, Ahsoka Tano had no idea that she was being hunted, and she wouldn’t learn to the contrary until Vader gave the order for her termination. She craved for that order to be given, but in light of current events, it seemed less and less likely with every passing moment, and it only infuriated Zathara more. Once more, Ahsoka was laughing at her, once more Ahsoka was benefitting from her misery, and once more Vader was praising his prized student for her initiative while the hard-working, loyal and devoted servant Zathara was to be given over to the Emperor as a plaything. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, and Zathara would not stand for it.

There seemed only one way to escape this apparent no-win scenario. She would have to do what was only yesterday unthinkable. She would have to betray Darth Vader.

In one fell swoop, Zathara would expose Vader’s subterfuge, and drag Vader’s precious “Somina” out of the shadows. The Emperor would see that Vader was no longer to be trusted, and see Vader’s collusion with fugitive Jedi. Vader was powerful, and was to rightly be feared, but even _he_ feared the power of the Emperor. Once she revealed Vader’s treachery, then perhaps the Emperor would favor _her_. Perhaps he would even allow her to deliver the killing blow to her nemesis, and take Ahsoka’s head as a trophy.

Of course, if the Emperor did not give her his favor, Vader would annihilate her with a thought. Either way, Zathara mused, she would find what she was looking for; exalted victory over Ahsoka, or the peace of death. Either choice suited Zathara just fine.

“But WHY, master?” She screeched as she pounded her fists against the bare metal walls of the quarters she’d been assigned. “Why would you favor HER so much?”

Somina stood in silence, unmoving. The only audible sound was the hum of her lightsaber as it remained run through one of the pillows that littered the bed she shared with Enuma. Enuma was nowhere to be seen, and Somina was still not sure what had happened, but she had enough presence of mind to shut off the lightsaber before the smoldering fire that was her pillow got out of control. She kicked the burning pillow off of the bed before it could ignite the sheets further, and stamped out the smoldering embers that remained. Her day was not getting any better, and sadly, she knew there were innumerable ways that it could get worse.

Enuma stood in the doorway leading out into the remainder of the ship, her mouth open in shock. “Beloved, why did you start a fire in our bedroom?”

…and it got worse.

Somina did not care how foolish she looked or felt; she dropped her lightsaber and immediately threw herself into Enuma’s arms. “I’m so sorry, love. I’ve been in such a horrible mood lately.”

Enuma was still for a split second, but Somina could soon feel her embrace tighten as the Twi’lek pulled her close. “I understand, beloved. It has been hard lately. Lord Vader has been working you quite a lot, and you are tired. You do not sleep.”

“I generally don’t need to,” Somina retorted. “But the Force has gotten…strange…lately.”

“Strange?” Enuma sounded genuinely puzzled, and she loosened her embrace in order to see Somina’s face as they spoke. They kept their arms around each other, though, for the simple act of touch always seemed to keep them both calm.

“Visions, premonitions, scenes that either happened a long time ago or haven’t yet happened. I…saw Barriss.”

“Barriss? Your Jedi friend that framed you for bombing the Jedi Temple? Why would you see her?”

“I don’t know, love. I don’t know, but something that Barriss said in the vision greatly upset me. She said that I’ll never find _her_ before _he_ finds _you_. Only, I don’t know who ‘he’ is. It could be Vader, it could be someone else, but I just don’t have enough information to go on.” The frown on Somina’s face told Enuma all she needed to know; it was she, Enuma that was the ‘you’. Somina believed that she was in grave danger, and would stop at nothing to protect her.

“Beloved, I only ask because I think it is relevant. What happened to Barriss after she was arrested?”

“No one knows. I only heard rumors that somehow she managed to escape from a Republic prison and vanished. She could be anywhere, I suppose.” Somina stopped mid-thought, and her eyes darkened slightly. “You don’t think…”

Enuma’s face became more serious than Somina was used to seeing. “I do. I think the powerful Dark Side presence you sensed on Jedha is Barriss.”

“But why? Why would _she_ be after _me_? I didn’t do _anything_ to _her_!” Somina was getting more paranoid by the second, and Enuma could sense it.

“I do not know, beloved, but it is the only answer that explains everything.”

Somina turned away from Enuma briefly, but met Enuma’s gaze after a long second. “No, Enuma. It doesn’t explain ‘why’.”

Zathara had spent several long moments beating her fists against the bare metal wall, and she soon tired of it. She slumped down on a small slab that stuck out of the wall enough to be used as a bench, and let her head hang. She reached up to disengage the locks that held her helmet in place, and let the helmet drop from her hands as she lowered them back down to rest on her thighs. The helmet clattered against the floor, but stayed in place after that. Zathara stayed in this position for several moments, unmoving and silent, her turquoise hair flowing down over her face. It was matted with sweat and dirt, as it often was. Zathara raised her head again, and brushed the sweaty locks away from her face, revealing the deep violet eyes and yellow skin normally associated with Mirialans. The diamond pattern of tattoos that adorned her face were different than traditional Mirialan tattoos, though, for along her right jawline, the phrase ‘peace is a lie’ was written in Aurebesh. Unfamiliar glyphs could be found around her eyes and nose, and a wicked scar could be found just under her right eye. She looked up at the ceiling, her jaw clenched, and wondered about her fate.

She’d had a traumatic life during the dying days of the Republic. First, she’d been arrested by Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, dragged before the Senate, and forced her to confess to the crimes she’d committed. She, of course, hadn’t seen them as crimes at all; she’d always considered her actions a justifiable and rational response to the corruption of the Jedi Order, as an order devoted to peace became an instrument of war. She’d been different then, a completely different individual. She had been idealistic, foolishly so, and the person she now was knew the stupidity of that pursuit. There was no peace; it was impossible. There was only power, and the pursuit of it. This was the way she’d chosen, and the way shown to her by the Dark Side of the Force.

It hadn’t been difficult for her to embrace the Dark Side whole-heartedly. In fact, when the time came, she found her transition to the ways of the Sith far less difficult than she’d first believed. The change had come when, during the last waning days of the Republic, a dark figure came to the cell she was kept in, and made her an offer. She would swear her loyalty to him, and he would teach her the ways of the Dark Side. She’d accepted, but before his lessons could begin, the dark man had met his destiny in the far-off Mustafar system. He’d come back different than before, more and yet less at the same time, and this was the master she now served. Upon Darth Vader’s resurrection from the ashes, he’d become her one reason for living. His training was sadistic, vicious, and cruel in the extreme, but Zathara had endured. Soon, he’d forged her into the ideal assassin and operative, powerful in the Dark Side, and trained to kill invisibly.

Perhaps he’d been a fool to train her as well as he had, for now she stood on the brink of using her skills against one of the individuals she considered the ultimate prey…Vader himself.

Zathara didn’t know who Vader had been before he had become Darth Vader, but then again, she no longer knew who Barriss Offee was, either. Barriss Offee didn’t exist any longer; there was only Darth Zathara of the Sith. It was only a matter of time before the galaxy recognized it.

All she had to do was betray her sadistic cyborg Sith Lord master, win the favor of the galactic monarch, and impale the head of Ahsoka Tano with her own lightsabers. To Zathara, there was nothing else.

“Perhaps, beloved, we do not need to know 'why', only who, where and when.” Enuma had that look on her face that she always got when she was having some sort of epiphany, and Somina had learned early on to pay special attention to Enuma's words when she got that look.

“What do you mean?”

“In your vision, Barriss said you would never find her before 'he' finds me, yes? First we need to know who 'he' is.”

Somina could follow her logic. If they knew who the mysterious 'he' was, it would be infinitely easier for them to prepare for his coming. “It makes it far easier to know where and when, when we know who we're dealing with.”

Enuma nodded, smiling. “Yes! So who would Barriss know that we would have to defend against?”

Somina wasn't smiling. Though Enuma might be satisfied with a partial decoding of the message, she couldn't be satisfied with anything but complete discovery. “Well, assuming that the Dark Side presence we felt _was_ her, she would have had to have learned from someone skilled in the ways of the Dark Side. You don't get that powerful without instruction.”

“Not necessarily, beloved,” Enuma chimed in. “ _You_ did. Perhaps the Dark Side works differently than what you were taught.”

“True, but whoever it was managed to almost completely hide their presence from both of us, which means they were going to great pains to do so. A novice could probably fool you, but it would take a concerted effort to hide from me. No, whoever it is is trained, and trained by someone who knows what they're doing. There are only a couple people in the galaxy that fit that description.”

“Vader and Palpatine.”

“Exactly. And neither makes any sense. If Vader already had a protégé, why would he need me? And why would Palpatine need anyone, when he has Vader to do his dirty work?” Somina backed away from Enuma, her head hanging slightly.

“Perhaps Palpatine suspects Vader is plotting against him?”

Somina leaned against the wall of the command module. “I'm sure that's never far from his mind, but in this case I don't think he suspects anything more than normal. No, Vader really is the only real option here, but even that still makes no sense.” She folded her arms around her chest, and closed her eyes. “Unless we're the backup plan.”

“Backup plan? What do you mean, beloved?”

“Maybe Vader doesn't completely trust Barriss, or whoever, to finish the job. Maybe Barriss is a decoy, or maybe we are. Think about it; Vader's not a trusting soul. He wants the Emperor dead more than he values his own existence, so why not have insurance? Maybe Barriss was a willing convert, but he needed to have backup that was a known quantity.”

Enuma began to register understanding in her eyes. “He knew how good you were, and how to bring you to the Dark Side. But that would mean...” Enuma's eyes went wide with horror. “...that would mean that he knew you when you were a Jedi.”

Somina turned her face from Enuma, a look of shame creasing her features. Enuma walked to her, slowly, her hands at her sides. “Beloved, is Darth Vader...Anakin Skywalker?”

Somina couldn't speak. She'd told Enuma before of her feelings for Anakin, but as they became romantically involved, she had hoped to spare Enuma that sort of paranoia, that worry that Somina feared would destroy what they had together. She had not been able to tell Enuma of what she knew of Vader's original identity, though she knew one day she would have to. She'd hoped that Enuma would not put the pieces of the puzzle together on her own, as Enuma would see that as a lie by omission. Now, however, that day of awful apocalypse had come, and Somina could only stand there, eyes closed with shame as the love of her life figured out the most horrible secret in the galaxy.

“Yes.” It required every ounce of willpower she had, but she knew if there was any chance of saving their relationship, she had to say it.

Enuma stood there, stunned, silent, for several long seconds. Then, she turned away from Somina, not wanting her to see the tears that started to well up in her eyes. “And you knew all along?”

Somina, too, was crying, but made no effort to hide it. “Yes.”

Enuma turned once more, and walked past Somina, and out of the ship. Somina dropped to her knees with anguish and exhaustion, no longer able to hold back to wave of sorrow that had come to claim her.

Enuma, her eyes swollen with tears, sought out the nearest Imperial officer. Commander Verex happened to be walking by as the crying Twi'lek came dashing off of the ship's ramp. “Miss Enuma, are you alright? What happened?”

Enuma quickly made to wipe the tears away, and compose herself enough to function. “Yes, just...a family matter. I need a ship to take me to Mon Cala.”

Verex folded her arms tightly, a smirk on her lips. “Well, there's not a lot of ships that go non-stop all the way across the galaxy, but I can get you on a ship to Corellia that's departing in about twenty minutes. I'm certain you can get on a ship to Mon Cala from there. Will that help?”

Enuma nodded sadly. “Yes, thank you. That will help very much.”

“What about your companion?”

Enuma closed her eyes, and lowered her head. “She will not be joining me.”

Verex narrowed her eyes slightly, but let no other reaction show. “Landing Pad Omega. Safe travels, Miss Enuma.”

Enuma turned and walked off without a word. Verex turned her eyes towards the _Two-Hearts_ briefly, and a small grin slowly spread across her face. She strode over to the ship, and stood about halfway up the ramp, and called out. “Lady Somina? Are you here?”

The only response that Verex received was a muted sobbing sound coming from inside the ship. She let the grin fall from her face, and made her way into the ship. A palpable feeling of darkness and sorrow seemed to permeate the ship, and even one as ignorant of the ways of the Force as she could feel the dark emotions radiating from the Sith apprentice. Once fully inside of the ship, Verex could feel the pressure of such overwhelming, maddening sorrow beating upon her mind, but she was on a mission. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she found Somina, crumpled on the floor, her head resting on the wall of the command module. Verex fell to one knee near the grieving Sith. “Lady Somina? What’s happened? Miss Enuma ran past me without a word.”

The _Executor_ dropped out of hyperspace after an extremely long time, and Zathara could feel the shift as the ship returned to normal space. There was always a sort of mental shock wave that accompanied something massive tearing through the boundary between normal space and hyperspace, and Force-sensitives could often train themselves to sense such things. Zathara had discovered this little trick early on her journey down the Dark path, and it had proven invaluable for making an escape before her pursuers even knew she was there. She wasn't sure if anyone else knew this skill, and she wasn't keen on sharing her personal advantages, even with Vader. Now, especially not with Vader, considering what she planned to do once brought before the Emperor.

She closed her eyes, and as she did, she felt the presence of something _off_ approaching the door to her quarters. Laying on the slab that passed for a bunk, she steeled herself in case someone planned to ambush her. Sure enough, after a couple seconds, the door chime rang out as someone requested entry. Zathara curled her hands slowly around her lightsabers, always within arms' reach. “Come in.”

The door slid open on her command, and a geared-up Death Trooper, blaster rifle in hand, stood silently outside of her quarters. Zathara opened her eyes, and slid off the bunk, grabbing her helmet as she did. “About time you boys came to get me. I was beginning to think you'd stood me up.”

The Trooper remained silent, but instead turned and led Zathara to the docking bay of the massive starship. Upon her arrival, she saw hundreds of Stormtroopers, Death Troopers, officers and crew lined up along the sides of the bay in militarily precise, razor-straight lines. A Lambda-class shuttle stood at the far end of the bay, its ramp lowered, and she could see several officers and Darth Vader kneeling before the ramp. Zathara smirked, laughing to herself over the ridiculous pomp and circumstance of a simple shuttle arrival, regardless of the status of the passenger. She saw a wizened man, smaller than she imagined and leaning heavily on a walking stick, make his way slowly down the ramp. The Death Trooper with her pressed the barrel of his blaster rifle against the small of Zathara's back, pushing her into the docking bay proper. She protested only momentarily, as other Death Troopers were approaching from either side, similarly “escorting” her to the feet of the Emperor.

They did indeed lead her right to the Emperor himself, and upon arriving there, they forced her to her knees before the singular ruler of the known galaxy. The Emperor cackled with delight at the forced gesture of obeisance. Vader remained completely silent, standing a meter or so behind the Emperor. “So this is the infamous Zathara, is it? This…creature…was your best attempt at training an _apprentice_ , Lord Vader?”

Vader remained still, standing in a posture that somehow diminished the fear he seemed to generate. Everyone around knew Vader was in trouble, but they still feared him enough to remain silent. “No, my master. She is my servant, nothing more.”

That was more of a slap across Zathara’s face than any physical action Vader could have ever done to her. _I am his apprentice_ , she raged. _Only a servant, my ass!_ She felt the need for violence rise up within herself but forced it down. She could not lose control here, at a pivotal moment in her life. She had to keep sharp, keep her mind on the task.

Palpatine could feel the waves of rage and hatred coming from Zathara, and smiled as he closed his eyes. “Your hatred is exquisite. Truly your former colleagues would consider you quite fallen, wouldn’t they…Barriss Offee?”

Zathara looked up at the Emperor, slightly shocked, but still trying her best to keep her emotions reined in. “Oh, yes, I remember quite well. Poor…what was her name? Ahsoka Tano, yes, that’s it. Poor Ahsoka…betrayed by her comrade, made to take the fall for a crime she did not commit, driven into exile from the Jedi Order…all by you.” Palpatine cackled once more. “You did more damage to the Jedi in a few cycles than I was able to do over years. Perhaps I should thank you, yes? Offer you my boon for the favors you’ve done for my Empire?” Palpatine looked directly into Zathara’s eyes, his yellow eyes boring into her mind and sending chills down her spine. “I’m afraid you have much to learn, young _apprentice_. Bring her!”

The Death Troopers, now six in number, took hold of Zathara by the arms, and dragged her to her feet. They continued to keep her in hand as they followed the Emperor and Vader out of the docking bay. Zathara had ceased to struggle, for she knew there was no hope of escape now. All she had left was her own agenda, and the hope that Vader would be dealt with before he could take revenge on her.

Enuma stood on the platform overlooking Landing Pad Omega. Her heart felt as if it had been rent into a thousand jagged shards, and each was stabbing her a hundred times over. She’d never known sadness as profound as this, even with the horrors committed to her person by the Hutts and their minions. She had trusted Somina, entrusted her with her heart, her life, her body, everything that there was of her, but she had been deceived. For Somina to go so far as to hide this sort of truth from her, to not mention that her master was her first great love, it was inconceivable to Enuma that Somina would lie to her like this. She would not have felt jealousy had she known, for she had trusted Somina. She would not have feared Darth Vader sought to steal away her love, so profound had her trust and love been. She still loved Somina, with all that was her, but she had to step away before her heart broke any further. She would go to Liak, find out what was going on, fix the situation, and then see what was to come next.

The tears would not stop as she struggled with herself over what to do next. She did not want to leave Somina, and at the same time she could not look her in the eye without knowing she’d been lied to. The one person she’d met that was not interested in using her as a plaything, the one person who was worthy of her love and devotion, had lied to her, and that hurt more than anything else. No, it was best to take some time away, to think and to decide what was to come next. She needed to get away from the pressure of being around Somina.

As she turned to head down the walkway that led to the landing pad, where a filthy YT-2400 freighter sat, fueling up and preparing for takeoff, she felt her foot kick something small and solid. She looked down at the ground to find not a pebble or stone, but a small crystal, brilliant even in the dim light of Ilum’s evening. She held it close to her face, and found little too terribly unusual about it, but superstitious as she was, she felt it was significant. She stuffed it into the pouch attached to her belt, and resolved to find out more about this little sparkly bauble when time allowed. She walked slowly down the walkway, her mind partially occupied with the mystery of the crystal, and managed to persuade the freighter’s captain to give her passage to Corellia, and though it took all the credits she had, she didn’t feel the need to haggle with the captain to bring the price down. She just wanted away from Ilum, and away from Somina.

The YT-2400 lifted off from Landing Pad Omega with a roar, and Enuma watched as the Two-Hearts, and her entire life, faded into insignificance and nothingness. The ship lurched into hyperspace, and Enuma lost all control, fearing that she would never see her beloved again. She cried straight from her soul, clutching the small crystal to her breast as if it were a toy, or a security blanket.

“Enuma has…gone. I don’t know where she intends to go. Away from me, I guess.” Somina felt so weary that she could not even lift her head to greet her visitor properly. Verex didn’t seem to take offense; in fact, Somina found her demeanor to be almost comforting, while keeping from intruding on Somina’s personal space.

“I’m sorry, Lady Somina, I…didn’t know about the two of you.”

“It doesn’t matter, Commander Verex. There is no ‘two of us’. Not anymore. But enough about that. What can I help you with?”

Verex stood quickly, and assumed a more military demeanor. “I came to escort you to dinner with the men, Lady Somina.”

Somina winced, but still would not look up. “I don’t think I’ll be making that meal, Commander. Send the men my apologies.”

Verex continued to stand ram-rod straight, the paragon of the Imperial soldier. “That will not do, Lady Somina. Please, I entreat you, join us tonight. It will do us all some good to share a meal and some stories.”

Somina sighed, but relented nonetheless; she knew from the pictures she’d seen that for as young a woman as she was to have risen so high in the Imperial ranks took a certain relentlessness that was not easily dissuaded. “Perhaps you’re right. I will be there shortly. Don’t worry, I’ll find the mess on my own.”

Verex took the cue perfectly, and walked out without further comment. Somina tried to calm herself, but the penchant Jedi have for serenity tends to be the first thing lost when one turns to the Dark Side. Her emotions were a deadly squall line, and she had to swim through treacherous waters before she could get out of danger. Dianoga-infested waters at that. She tried to pull herself to her feet, but her legs would not comply.

“What do you think Darth Vader would think of you if he could see you now?” she mumbled to herself. She already knew the answer; he would likely just execute her for such abject failure. A Sith was expected to utilize their emotions, not be controlled by them. No, this was beneath her, and she knew it. She then did the only thing she could do; she turned the sadness to anger. She _did_ feel anger; anger at how Enuma had walked out on her, anger at Vader for his insane missions, anger at the galaxy for her still being alive.

Anger could be used. Anger could be channeled. Anger was good. It was on legs of rage that Darth Somina rose again from the bottom of the pit. This time, there was nothing holding her back. The one thing that could have been a weakness to exploit was gone. Somina stood alone again, and she was always the most dangerous on her own.

This time, if Barriss Offee had ever been hunting her, then she would hunt the renegade Mirialan down until they settled things with lightsabers and raw power. The thought of running that smug face through with her blade gave Somina a strange, sadistic sort of pleasure. She liked the feeling, and she wanted more.

First, though, she had to get through a pointless dinner, crawling with troops that could never know who she was. She had a mission to carry out, first and foremost, and it would not be accomplished wasting time with Corellian hors d’oeuvres. Still, it was best not to ruffle too many feathers, as she still needed to keep a low profile. Vader’s wishes had to come first, and he wanted her unnoticed. Too much chatter could make its way to the Emperor’s ears, regardless of precaution.

There was, of course, the matter of Commander Verex, as well. Enuma had said that she thought Verex was flirting with her, but Somina didn’t pick up on that at all. Still, Enuma’s instincts were more often correct than not, so Somina vowed to keep a sharp eye on, and a safe distance from, the Imperial officer. She was, after all, associated with Tarkin, however indirectly, and anyone under Tarkin’s tutelage merited scrutiny. Verex _seemed_ friendly enough, but many people had _seemed_ friendly over the years, only to turn on her when it suited them. Anakin had only been the first; there would be many more to come.

Somina reminded herself that she’d never trusted Verex to begin with, and she should not start now. It would, however, be advantageous to keep an eye on her, even if that meant getting uncomfortably close. She would not betray Enuma, but Somina knew where the line was, and even though they were on rocky ground, Somina did not feel at liberty to take her pleasure with whomever she pleased. She would toe up to that line, but she would go no further. She still felt a commitment to Enuma, and she was certain Enuma would agree with her, even now.

Still, Verex wasn’t unattractive. She clearly went to great pains arranging things for Somina’s arrival, and she clearly has Vader’s trust, which implies discretion. Somina shook her head fiercely; no, this is one temptation to which she would not give in. If there was to be any hope of reconciliation with Enuma, she had to keep her passions in check, even if Verex showed up to her quarters wearing only dancing girl attire.

Somina’s disgust with herself began to well up like bile in her throat. The hot rage gave her focus, kept things in perspective. She could handle whatever the galaxy threw at her now; she was Sith, after all.

“Do you believe you are Sith, child?”

The Emperor, seated in a large, specially-constructed chair on a platform overlooking the length and breadth of the Executor, spoke with disgust and vitriol at the kneeling Mirialan, now divested of a good portion of her armor, exposing her arms and the tight-fitting leather vest she wore under her armor. Her weapons, communications devices, and survival equipment had all been seized, and they left her with little more than her modesty. Her arms bore similar tattoos to the odd glyphs on her face, though larger and more ornate. Some _did_ bear Sith iconography; Zathara believed strongly in taking concepts literally into yourself.

The Emperor rose from his seat slowly, and shuffled quietly towards Zathara. He moved with surprising speed and silence for someone who seemed to need a walking stick to get around, but Zathara wouldn’t be so foolish as to assume everything with Palpatine was as it seemed. He had fooled the entire Republic for decades; it stood to reason he had more than his fair share of secrets yet still. His face was twisted into a wizened scowl, and his eyes, those horrible yellow eyes, seemed to almost glow under the shadow of his hood. “Do you even understand what that claim means, ‘Zathara’?”

Her eyes were lowered, avoiding making contact with the horrifying yellow eyes of the Emperor, but her voice remained defiant as ever. “I do, Your Majesty. I am as my master made me.”

“Ah, yes. Lord Vader.” Palpatine shuffled over to the stone-still figure of Darth Vader, looking up towards the masked visage. “I do not recall giving you leave to train anyone in any capacity, much less allowing you to train a Sith apprentice. If you truly took this creature as a student, then you are no servant; you are a rival. Others have learned the cost of betraying me, Lord Vader. Are you to join them?”

Vader remained still, but his voice, the mechanical voice that originated from somewhere inside the massive black figure, spoke quietly. “I have not betrayed you, my master. She is only a servant, an assassin in my service. She may have been Jedi, but she is nothing but a servant now.”

“He lies, Your Majesty.” Zathara’s voice was more defiant than ever. This was her one and only chance; she had to make it work the first time.

The silence was deafening, and Zathara could almost feel the air around her solidify. There was no going back now, for she had shown her hand. Now, it was entirely up to the Emperor himself.

The air had indeed become solid, for it immediately clamped down on Zathara’s throat as she looked up to see Darth Vader’s outstretched hand simulating a crushing motion. The power of the grip was immeasurable; Zathara was not sure she was going to survive the attack. She did not struggle, nor did she try to cry out. She sat as still as she could, not giving him the satisfaction of watching her thrash about.

“Hold, Lord Vader.” The Emperor’s voice cut through the haze in Zathara’s head as she began to black out. Vader immediately released the grip on Zathara, and she gasped a breath in as quickly as she could. Her head started to clear, and she remained as still as possible, though now, her eyes were fixed on Vader. She was not going to allow him to scare her anymore. All he could do was kill her, and death was no stranger to the fallen Jedi.

Palpatine walked back to Zathara, a look of equal parts bewilderment and amusement on his withered face. “He lies, does he? And what does he lie about, child?”

Zathara gulped air into her lungs as hard and as fast as she could. It was going to take every ounce of persuasive power she had, but she was very good at what she did. “He…lies…about apprentice…I’m not…only one.” She subtly played up the suffocation angle, though she was certain Palpatine had all the compassion of an asteroid. Men like the Emperor were all about control, and how they try to keep it over all in their view. If she could make it look like Vader would kill her to keep her from telling Palpatine the truth, perhaps he would see that as Vader’s own treachery. It wouldn’t take much embellishment, as Vader really had plotted against the Emperor already.

The hideous, deformed brow of the Emperor raised, clearly intrigued. “Not the only apprentice? Interesting, child. I suppose you also happen to know who this mystery apprentice is?”

Zathara panted for a couple seconds, more to hyperventilate than to catch her breath. It would be far more convincing if she really had difficulty breathing. Palpatine was many things, but she hoped that a physician was not one of them. He likely wouldn’t think to check her lungs, and thus she could play it up as much as needed.

“Ahsoka…Tano…”

“I’m sorry?” Somina stopped suddenly, as a familiar name seemed to have been uttered by nearby troops. The trooper in question, a younger Stormtrooper out of the familiar armor and in more of a dress uniform looked terrified as the Sith apprentice turned her attention to him.

“I beg your pardon, ma’am, I just said that you vaguely resemble the ex-Jedi, Ahsoka Tano. A lot of us in the trenches admire her for walking away from the corruption and evil of the Jedi.” He tried with all his might not to sound terrified, but she did seem to intimidate people far easier these days. His tone was even, but wavered like a man suddenly afraid for his life.

“I see. Well, trooper, I knew Ahsoka Tano once. She did walk away from the Jedi because they were corrupt, but there was more to her story than just that. Unfortunately, she is one with the Force now, I suspect. The 501st is quite thorough.”

“That they are, ma’am!” The young trooper saluted her nervously, and she forced a small smile and moved on to less boring conversations.

 _Since when did Ahsoka become an icon for Stormtroopers?_ Somina wondered to herself. _The Imperial propaganda machine is amazingly good at twisting things._

A lot of the base’s troops gathered in the mess hall, which was a pretty spacious area, if not palatially furnished. It was, after all, still an Imperial military outpost. Besides the ones on duty watch, most of the troops stationed on Ilum had come to meet the envoy from Darth Vader. Many stared at Somina, and tried to make it look like they weren’t. She’d have been flattered had she not been in such a horrific mood.

“They’re terrified of you, and at the same time, they respect you.”

The voice, the somewhat muted voice of Commander Verex, suddenly spoke from behind Somina. Somina didn’t flinch or start, at least not externally, but she silently cursed herself for losing awareness of the situation. Somina turned slowly to see the commander in an ornate uniform dress, unusual but not unheard of in the Imperial military, especially for younger women officers. It was actually quite stunning; Somina found this particular look on the commander appealing, though she made certain she gave no indication of it. On the off-chance that Verex was flirting with her, she didn’t want to give the commander any mixed signals.

“I can’t imagine why.” Somina was genuinely curious, especially in a society where humans were the “ideal”, why a non-human agent of Darth Vader would be held in such regard.

“Are you mad?” Verex laughed heartily. “Anyone who lasts for any particular length of time serving directly under Darth Vader is afforded quite a bit of respect. Vader’s a hell of a fighter, but a horrible boss.”

Somina found herself taken aback slightly by such flippant comments about Vader. “I’m not sure what you mean by that, Commander Verex.”

Verex narrowed her eyes at Somina, almost as if to wonder if Somina was as dim as she sounded. “You’re not familiar with how Darth Vader disciplines those who disappoint him?”

Somina’s eyes similarly narrowed, as if to imply that Verex was committing sedition. “I have _never_ disappointed him; I don’t know.”

Verex broke out into boisterous laughter, breaking the tension of the moment as skillfully as she controlled everything else going on at the Ilum outpost. Even Somina’s black mood lightened a bit, though she found herself drifting towards headspace she’d sought to avoid; she was starting to actually _like_ Commander Verex. It wouldn’t suit matters for Somina to feel more festive, though, so she chose to remain focused on the disintegration of her relationship with Enuma, rather than put aside such things for one evening.

“Come, Lady Somina, I believe you need a drink.” Verex led the confused Sith apprentice over to the bar, where a well-groomed Wookiee tended the counter. “Ralraa, could you make two of your famous Tatooine Sunsrises for us, please?” The Wookiee grumbled as cheerful an affirmative as Somina had ever heard a Wookiee say, and immediately set to preparing two drinks. Somina watched the Wookiee carefully as he deftly handled delicate glass vessels with the massive, furry paws that were so well known. It was truly art; she’d have sworn the Wookiee was Force-sensitive, had she not known better. After several entrancing minutes of watching the Wookiee bartender work, he set two multi-colored drinks down in front of the two ladies. The Wookiee managed as much of a smile as he could, and bowed respectfully to his superiors. Verex lifted one of the glasses and held it out towards Somina. “To a fruitful and beneficial partnership.”

Somina smiled, losing more of her grip on her pledge to stay focused on the mission and on Enuma with every passing moment. She also held her glass aloft after picking it up from the counter. There were several layers of colored liquid, masterfully layered by the Wookiee. They didn’t mix, even when shaken. “To the brave and bold servants of the Empire.”

Verex smiled as well, a smile that wasn’t as telling as her previous expressions. “I’ll drink to that.” She lifted the glass to her lips and took a large draught. Verex’s eyes never broke contact with Somina’s; there was a look to them that Somina found to be less than “partnershippy”. It was starting to look like perhaps Enuma was on to something after all; Verex had become quite friendly all of a sudden.

Somina lifted her glass as well, and took a much smaller sip. Somina had little experience with intoxicants; on the run from the Empire since childhood, she’d had little time for such diversions. Upon settling in on Praxigor, she just had never had the desire. It wasn’t until Enuma had wanted drinks back on Jedha that Somina had even tasted such things.

Thoughts of Enuma stabbed her in the heart once again, and she shook off the warm, soft feeling that crept up within her. Between the liquor and Verex’s attentions, Somina was feeling warm indeed. She took another quick sip, and set her glass down, blatantly breaking eye contact with Verex.

“What’s in this? I’ve never tasted the like.” Somina tried to smile, though she felt it came out awkward and lopsided.

“The first layer is Altharian distilled spirits, nothing special, quite common, but strong. Strong enough to hold the rest of it aloft. Atop that is Cybelline brandy, less strong, but more rarified, and far tastier. Zvarkah night-spirits go above that, which are made from rare orchids grown on only three Hutt-controlled worlds. Extremely expensive, hard to get ahold of, but nothing is beyond the reach of the Empire. I like this drink because,” as she held the glass in front of her eyes, “it is a microcosm of the Empire itself. On the bottom are the strong backs of the ones who help build all that comes after. On the top is the rarest of the rare; the Emperor himself. In between, you find people like us.” Verex lowered her glass to her lips once more, and finished the drink in one large swallow. “You…want to get out of here for a little bit?”

Somina stood there, silent, for a moment. Then, without warning, her lips parted, seemingly of their own volition. “Yes, I would like that very much.” Somina turned and walked out with Commander Verex right at her side.

“Ahsoka Tano? The Jedi padawan that _YOU_ attempted to have blamed for the Jedi Temple bombing? You will understand if I am skeptical.” Palpatine was less than impressed with Zathara’s revelation, but she anticipated his reaction. Her hyperventilation had her gasping for breath far harder than Vader’s strangling her would have done on its own, and she managed to force tears. This had to be perfect, or she was dead. She’d learned at a young age that scamming men was its own art form, and Zathara was a master of it.

“Allow me to destroy her, master! She lies!” Vader was enraged, and Zathara could feel his anger beating upon her like a massive drum that surrounded her on all sides. _He must be unbelievably powerful,_ she thought, _for his anger to be so palpable._ Vader wanted to choke the life from her, and to do it slowly, agonizingly, right before his eyes, but until allowed by the Emperor, he would dare not touch her. Palpatine seemed on the verge of giving the word, as she could deduce from the burning hatred in those horrific yellow eyes, so she had to really make this hit the mark.

“Perhaps you will indulge me, child, if I ask you to provide some proof of your accusation. I must assume if Lord Vader has defied me, there is some proof of this.”

Zathara struggled to catch her breath, and then pulled herself to her feet as slowly as she could. “Besides my indenture as his apprentice? Yes. I can tell you exactly where Ahsoka Tano is. She’s right where _he_ sent her.” She turned to lock eyes with Vader, fighting the urge to smile with her most toxic grin. “She’s on Ilum.”

The Emperor remained impassive, though he did not speak right away. Slowly, he turned towards Vader, an expression of irritation on his horrific visage. “Ilum? Explain.”

Zathara slowly approached the Emperor, but stayed well away from him. “He sent her to find Naran Chozai, whom he believes stole the Starblade project from you, Your Majesty, and has used it for his own ends. He sent her to find Chozai, find the Starblade module, and to bring it back to him personally. He had me shadow her, to make certain she did not betray him.” She quieted her voice slightly, as if to whisper to the Emperor. “He gave her a Sith name, Your Majesty. He called her ‘Darth Somina’.”

Palpatine’s face was still unreadable, but the tone of his voice was unmistakable. “Did he now?” Suddenly, without warning or foresight, Palpatine whirled around the face Zathara, his hands outstretched in front of him, and blinding bolts of lightning cascaded from his hands, enveloping Zathara as she collapsed to the ground screaming in agony. His teeth gnashing together in rage, he continued the bombardment for several long minutes, causing Zathara’s screams to increase in volume and pitch with every surge of the Sith lightning. He lowered his hands, and the lightning ceased, and Zathara lay on the ground face down, her clothes and hair smoldering. “This is the fate of traitors, child, and Lord Vader knows this. Today, I have given you an important lesson. The Dark Side is strong within you, but I alone decide who is Sith and who is not.” The Emperor shuffled back to his throne, above all assembled, and sat down once more, the scowl of abject rage still on his face. “I shall send you to Ilum then; find the fallen Jedi and bring her to me. If you succeed, I will know the truth of your claim, and Lord Vader shall be…dealt with. Fail, and you will suffer more than anyone has ever suffered at the hands of the Dark Lords of the Sith. Lord Vader shall remain here, to do my bidding. Be gone!”

At the command of their Emperor, several of the red-robed Imperial Guards grabbed the still-smoking and unconscious body of Zathara, and dragged her out of the audience chamber. Once gone, Palpatine rotated the massive chair to face the stoic visage of Darth Vader. “As for you, Lord Vader…you had best hope she lies.” Palpatine’s crooked, withered mouth twisted into a cruel smile, exposing hideous teeth. “For if she does not, and she returns with Anakin Skywalker’s padawan…you will wish I had left you to die on Mustafar.”

Overlooking one of the many landing pads dotting the landscape around the Ilum garrison, Somina and Commander Verex sat upon a natural promontory on a bench carved directly from the stone around them. It was night, and though Ilum was cold by nature, the two women didn’t feel at all uncomfortable, due to a combination of Ralraa’s famous Tatoonie Sunsrises and warm jackets produced by Verex before they made the climb to the top of the large rock. From here, the hustle and bustle of the Ilum garrison was only barely visible, and none of the noise made its way to the top of the rock. The two sat and joked back and forth, the situation being perhaps far more comfortable than Somina cared for, but at the moment, feeling good seemed better for her than feeling the guilt that had gnawed at her since Enuma’s departure. Somina still had no idea where Enuma had gone; she only knew the Twi’lek was no longer in the Ilum system. At this particular moment, Somina’s thoughts of Enuma were about as far away as Enuma herself was.

“So…so I told him, Wilhuff, my dear, your boots are missing!” Verex howled with laughter at the memory of pranks she had pulled on Grand Moff Tarkin in her years as a cadet. Somina was perplexed at how someone with as little sense of humor as Tarkin didn’t have the young cadet court-martialed, or worse, but Verex swore to the veracity of her stories. Clearly she knew Tarkin, but this was something that actually made Somina trust Verex less, not more. Somina remembered what Tarkin had done to her, and would never forgive it. She couldn’t completely trust anyone under the sphere of Tarkin’s influence after that, which nearly covered the whole of the Empire. She promised herself one day she'd have her revenge on Tarkin, but right now, she had to decide whether his younger protege was trustworthy.

Regardless of any old wounds, the thought of Tarkin wandering about a Star Destroyer without his boots _was_ somewhat amusing, and Somina allowed herself the luxury of envisioning it. It was a far less upsetting mental image than the one she kept having, the one where she finds herself in a deep kiss with Commander Verex. The temptation continued to grow geometrically in strength, and though she had a will of durasteel, the drinks had corroded away a lot of her resolve.

“That's quite funny, Commander.” Somina clung desperately to formality; it was the only thing besides her love for Enuma that kept her from crossing a line from which she could never return.

“Please, Lady Somina, let's not be so formal. Maline.” Verex's smile was intoxicating, especially now with her hair let down out of the severe bun she'd had tucked up under her uniform cap. Maline Verex was a very attractive woman, and Somina found herself fighting back the primal surge of desire. “Of course, if we're to be less formal, perhaps it would be acceptable if I simply called you 'Ahsoka'?”

Somina's reverie ceased instantly upon hearing the name of the person she'd once been spoken. She stood, her muscles tensed as if going into action. Verex laughed quietly, almost meekly, at her reaction. “It's fairly obvious. There were only a few Togruta known to be Jedi, and you're far too young, not to mention far too alive, to be Shaak Ti.” Verex slid slowly off the bench, moving deliberately, trying not to spook the Sith any further. “Before you ask, no, I don't believe anyone else has figured it out. Not everyone has had access to Tarkin as I have, and you were one of his favorite subjects. The one that got away, and so forth. Don't worry; I have no desire to report you to him, especially since that would mean making an enemy of Darth Vader, which is something the wise simply do _not_ do.”

Somina still stood, hands near her lightsabers, unwilling to relax. It was the worst possible scenario; she'd been made by an Imperial officer, and now her options were severely limited. “Please, _Somina_. Please, sit. I am not your enemy. You are safe in my care, I swear it.”

Her choices were plain; either kill Verex and vanish, or try and trust her, knowing she was loyal to Vader, and hope that she would not be betrayed. There was a third option, but Somina didn't want to have to go that route. That route involved seducing Verex, and _that_ would be betraying Enuma. That would only be used if there was no other option.

Verex sat slowly down on the bench again, gently patting the space next to her. “Please, Somina. I may take offense otherwise.” Somina slowly lowered her hands from her waist to her sides, and sat slowly next to Verex once again. “Thank you. You've nothing to fear, Somina. I would not harm any agent of Lord Vader. I've tried too long to cultivate his favor to allow anything to destroy all that work.”

Somina turned to Verex, their faces uncomfortably close. “You are not loyal to the Emperor?”

Verex was clearly amused, but her characteristic laugh was notably absent. “I am loyal to the Empire, if not the person of the Emperor himself. The Emperor is a figurehead, an office, regardless of the man in that office.”

“But you are loyal to Vader? Why?”

“Why? Are you mad?” Verex's laugh finally re-emerged, though muted, as if she was afraid to speak out loud. “Let me put it this way, Somina; the Emperor is an old man. He's not going to live forever, and when he does die, he has no family, at least none known. Who will the throne pass to upon his death? I'll tell you, it will go to the strongest contender, and I am of the belief that the only one who will emerge from the scramble will be Darth Vader. Call it...an investment in my future, and the future of the Empire. That is why I have tried for ages to align myself with Lord Vader as a trusted agent and reliable operative. That is why I warmly welcome a former Jedi fugitive to my command, besides the pleasure of your company, which is considerable. Simply put, Lord Vader wishes it. Though, to be fair,” Verex smiled as she spoke, “I would have welcomed such a lovely woman to my world regardless.” Verex's wan smile finally tore through the last of Somina's defenses. If Verex was intentionally seducing her, she knew every possible weakness to exploit, because the last of her resolve started to decay rapidly.

The Imperial Guards dropped Zathara at the bay where her fighter was berthed, and quickly went on their way. A short Imperial officer approached her as she started to stir, her body singed and racked with pain. Behind him, on a small levitation platform, a large, nondescript box with Imperial markings sat. He clicked his heels together as he bowed curtly. “Miss Zathara? Commander Anther, Imperial Intelligence. His Majesty requested that we assist you in your mission, so we have brought you a few items you might find useful.”

Somina's eyes closed, and her body moved as if being controlled by an outside source. “Maline...” The name wafted from her lips as if a wisp of cloud on a breeze. She moved closer to Verex, whose eyes were similarly closed. They moved closer together, their expectant mouths opening slightly as the inevitable kiss approached.

Zathara stood, her body still protesting any movement, but kept her face impassive. “What items?”

Commander Anther opened the large box, and Zathara peered inside. “Uniforms? What is all this?”

Somina's lips barely touched Verex's, and she paused for the slightest of moments. There would never be any going back if this happened, and she knew it. She had to think about this before things went too far, before the risks outweighed the benefits.

“Disguises, Miss Zathara.” Commander Anther smiled, a chilling grin.

Verex's lips parted slightly, as she whispered just before the kiss. “Give my regards to the Emperor, you smug bitch.”

Somina felt a sharp, burning pain in her ribs, and then everything went black as space.

 


	12. Chapter 12

The world, still gray and fuzzy, slowly began to coalesce once again, as Somina started to regain consciousness. She was still unsure what had happened; all she remembered was that just as she was about to make a massive mistake, Maline Verex whispered something to her, and everything went black. Somina could not remember what Verex had said, nor could she remember why she blacked out.

Somina tried to open her eyes, but she found her body sluggish and disoriented. She could feel cold metal against her face, though it almost seemed like she was feeling it secondhand, through someone else’s description of the metal against their face. She felt almost drugged, and it was a distinct possibility. She needed to know more, but there didn’t seem to be others in the immediate area. Her head was swimming, and it felt almost as if she were cut off from the Force itself.

“Don’t bother. The dosage of tranquilizer I gave you would kill a bantha. You’re not going anywhere until I get you back to the Emperor.” An electronically-distorted voice came over a loudspeaker that didn’t seem to be too far away. Someone was going to great pains to hide their identity from her, or perhaps they just wanted to keep her contained. Either was unacceptable to Somina, but she didn’t feel she was in a position to do much besides lay where she was.

She was slowly becoming aware of her surroundings, as well as her position within those surroundings. She was laying on the floor of a cargo hold, or perhaps some sort of detention cell. She’d suspected that her hands were bound, and she was correct; her hands were tightly bound behind her back. Someone knew exactly how to imprison a Force-user with minimal risk, and to Somina that would mean it was another Force-user. Who, though? Who would go so far as to command one of their subordinates to seduce her, then knock her out and abduct her? Unlikely that it was Vader; she hadn’t been discovered, as far as she knew. Tarkin was a possibility, but he would have had to have knowledge of her presence before her arrival, and it was unlikely Vader ran any of his plans past Tarkin.

Who would benefit from this? That was the problem; no one she could think of would benefit. No one, that is, except one, but that one was such a long shot it seemed unlikely. She needed to find out what was going on, and who wanted to bring her to the Emperor. To do that, she’d have to know who her captor was, and she could only think of one way to do that…give them an emergency reason to enter this room.

Somina opened her eyes further, and started to see that she was actually in what looked like the service chamber for a hyperdrive, and as such, there were cables, conduits, tubes, and hoses all running in various directions. She needed to find a way to cause something that wouldn’t immediately kill her, and yet have her “host” come running. Power couplings and reactor coolant lines were exceedingly dangerous to mess around with, and Somina was certain she’d be dead within seconds if she disconnected any of those.

And then, she spotted the perfect option; there, just above the main conduit input, was the emergency shutdown panel. Normally, this would be used to stop the hyperdrive immediately in the event of overload or other emergency, but keeping herself alive seemed a good enough reason. Somina closed her eyes, and called upon the Force to assist her…

…but nothing happened. It was almost as if she couldn’t feel the Force at all.

“Hello, _stupid_. I told you, you’re far too drugged up to do any of your little tricks. Believe me, I know how to handle people like you. Now, just relax. Or don’t, hell, I don’t care one way or the other.” The distorted voice definitely had a mocking tone to it that time. Whoever it was that was transporting her certainly seemed proud of themselves.

“There’s no need for this to get ugly, friend. Just release me, and I’ll put in a good word for you with Darth Vader.” Somina’s attempt at diplomacy showed why she wouldn’t have lasted long as a diplomat, but it was all she had going for her at that moment.

“You’re kidding, right?” The voice seemed truly amused by her attempt at haggling. “How do you know Vader didn’t send me to collect you?”

“I don’t,” Somina responded. “But I don’t think so. I don’t think Vader has anything to do with this.”

Suddenly, the hatch in front of her slid open, and through the small doorway, a tall, lithe figure peeked in. “You’re partially right.” The figure was suited in black armor, with a helmet oddly reminiscent of Vader’s. The person in question was clearly female, as the armor seemed to be quite tight-fitting, most likely for ease of movement.

Somina struggled to face towards the woman, trying to at the very least sit herself up. She partially succeeded, managing to prop her back partially against the rear of the small compartment. “Who are you?”

“Who am I?” The woman laughed, a laugh that proclaimed near-mania. “Who am I? Oh, dear, dear Ahsoka, search your _fucking_ feelings. You _KNOW_ who I am.” Again, the insane laughter, and then the woman removed the helmet. From the first flash of yellow skin, Somina _knew_.

“Barriss.”

“Not anymore. I’m Zathara. I’m my own woman now, no thanks to you.” She threw the helmet down on the floor of the compartment. “I was his _first_ apprentice. _I_ was the one who was supposed to serve him, work for him, and destroy the Emperor for him. My whole fucking life was about _HIM_!” Zathara’s violet eyes drilled straight through Somina’s soul, and Somina could see that she was clearly insane; corrupted beyond redemption by the Dark Side of the Force. “But he couldn’t be satisfied with that. He _had_ to have _YOU_ too.”

“I never asked for this!”

“ _You didn’t have to!_ I was more than good enough, but that little shred of his old self waxes nostalgic. It’s a disgusting weakness. It’s one he really should try to lose, but I don’t think the Emperor is going to give him that option now.” Zathara laughed again, the mania within her building to a frenzy. “I’ve waited for years, Ahsoka…waited for the chance to finally be rid of you. I could have been fine with HIM, if he’d finally just give up the old life…but you… _you_ , I will _never_ forgive.”

“Why, Barriss? What did I do that needs forgiving?” Somina’s desperation was also building, but she was also stalling as long as she could; the longer she had Barriss ranting, the more time she had to shake off the effects of the drugs.

“What did you do? _WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT DIDN’T YOU DO?_ You could have been part of the movement, Ahsoka! You could have been one of the chosen that brought the Jedi down for good! There didn’t have to be a wholesale execution of the Jedi, if they’d been discredited and driven out of the Republic! Think of how things could have been if you’d been with us! But _NO_ , you had to be the _goody-goody_! You had to have your _boy toy_ Anakin stop it all…but the best part, oh yes, the very best part…because of that, because of you _, THE JEDI ALL DIED ANYWAY_!”

Barriss’ eyes were alight with madness and dark power. Somina was actually afraid of her at that moment, though she tried hard not to show it. “The supremacy of the Sith can’t be stopped, Ahsoka, but we can weed out the undesirables. Once I bring you to the Emperor, you and Vader both will be eliminated, and I, Darth Zathara, will take my rightful place at the right hand of the Dark Lord of the Sith!” Zathara thrust her hand out in front of her, and a small bolt of lightning coursed out from her fingertips and blasted into Somina. Somina screamed in pain, though it was but brief. Zathara looked down at her hands, and the maniacal laughter began again. “Already, my new master has given me great gifts, do you not see? But…you are _not_ mine to kill, oh no, no, no, no…only the Emperor can decide your fate, for he is the master, and I, his servant.”

Zathara turned away from her hated enemy, laughing all the way. “The Emperor will deal with you now…you’d have been better off with me killing you…”

The hatch slammed shut, and Somina blacked out again.

The ancient temple of the Nightsisters on Dathomir hadn’t been entered since the Clone Wars, but one dared travel it on this day. He had been here before, of course, though it had been many years since he’d been in the sanctuary. It was empty now, devoid of everything but hungry ghosts. Even those ghosts, which had been known to attack anything foolish enough to wander into such forbidden and darkness-riddled land, avoided the black-robed man. The Dark Side of the Force swirled and danced around him in its anarchic majesty, and anything in its path was summarily annihilated. This was what he lived for; the hunt, and the kill.

Today, though, there was nothing for Maul to hunt, or kill. The dead kept their distance, and those few Zabrak still scrabbling through the rubble to survive knew to stay far from the lands once belonging to the coven of the Dark Side witches. Maul was the son of the greatest of those witches, Mother Talzin, and as such, he was one of very few that would dare brave such a place.

Even devoid of the living sisters of the coven, the power of the Dark Side of the Force was stronger here than in most of the known galaxy. It was here that the Nightsisters had practiced their Dark Side sorcery, potent and ancient magics that even Darth Sidious, the now-Emperor, was right to fear. Some even dared whisper that Sidious actually _feared_ Mother Talzin, though none remained alive that could have spoken from experience. Though the ways of the Nightsisters were not the ways of the Sith, Maul was at a point in his life that he cared little for dogma; there was only the Dark Side. He had no use for the trappings of antiquated religions or ancestral feuds, because neither led to power. Only power led to power, and that only through the Dark Side of the Force. Here, in the ancient halls laid waste by General Grievous during the Clone Wars, the Dark Side seeped into this reality, pure and potent, in a way that few other places could claim. It was here that Maul could do the work he needed to do.

It was here that he’d spent endless hours trying to scry the location of Obi-wan Kenobi, his most despised enemy. It was here that he had honed and polished his adaptations of the seventh form of lightsaber combat, and it was here that he hoped to begin the process leading to his vengeance against the Sith, and against Emperor Palpatine. He had sensed the unraveling of his temporary alliance with the fallen Jedi Mace Windu coming for some time, even if Windu himself was unaware. It had been a means to an end, and that end was accomplished; the Dark Side had gained a new adept. She was misled, of course, for Darth Vader was no true Sith Lord; only a weakling Jedi convert. Maul had been in contact with the one called “Zathara”, though she remained unaware of his identity. He had watched her from the time she was arrested by the Republic until the moment she disappeared after rendezvousing with Vader’s flagship, and this Zathara showed real promise; she was a more willing convert than Vader had been, according to what lore Maul could procure on the masked man.

Zathara’s sudden disappearance had Maul troubled, though, for when people brought before the Emperor disappeared, it had the most disturbing habit of being a permanent condition. This Zathara could be trained and forged into a proper weapon, but for that to happen, he had to find her. For the moment, that was Maul’s primary concern, and everything else could wait.

He had hoped that by luring her out with the one person he knew would garner her attention, Ahsoka Tano, that he could just follow the other fallen Jedi right to Zathara. It had almost worked until Zathara boarded Vader’s ship, and then he lost all trace of her. It had infuriated him to see his hard work and effort seemingly wasted, but if there was anything in the galaxy that Maul was certain of, it was Zathara’s ability to survive, and to endure. It was, therefore, only a matter of finding where she’d gone, and for that, the Force was more than capable of telling him what he needed to know.

During his service under Darth Sidious, Maul had been trained primarily in the physical disciplines; augmented strength, augmented speed, and enhanced agility. This had made him a formidable duelist and feared assassin, but fairly inept in the more mystic of the Sith arts. It was only through the instruction he could receive from the shade of Mother Talzin that Maul began to take a more mystic bent. At first, the ghost had appeared to him quite frequently, but over the last few months, the specter had appeared less and less, until she wasn’t seen at all. Maul knew that eventually everything dies, even powerful Dark Side witches, but it had left him in a predicament. If he was to ever gain vengeance over the two he most wanted to see die, that being Kenobi and Palpatine, he would have to bring skills to the fight that no one would expect. This had led him on a quest for ancient Sith holocrons, each bearing hidden dark knowledge. He’d only found two up to this point, but they had opened his eyes to new approaches to things, things that could well give him an edge, even against a Jedi Master or a Sith Lord.

The first holocron had belonged to a Darth Viktuss, a minor Sith sorcerer active during the era of the Old Republic. It had yielded little practical information, but it turns out that Viktuss was someone who knew other people, and that the knowledge he’d collected had to do with the locations of holocrons he’d been able to locate. All during a time period long past, but with a few exceptions, all the worlds that had existed then still existed; it would be only a matter of time before an artifact radiant with the power of the Dark Side could be located.

Sure enough, the holocron of Viktuss had led him to the holocron of Darth Nirgal, which fascinated Maul with its stories of the legendary Darth Nihilus. Nihilus was not a skilled duelist or sorcerer, nor was he a feared warlord. In fact, Nihilus only really did one thing well; an ability he called “Force Drain”. In short, Nihilus could siphon the living Force away from anything he chose, and channel it into himself. Nihilus was so skilled with this that he could literally destroy worlds simply by coming in contact with them. Eventually, the power became overwhelming, and Nihilus became something more than just a man, or even a Sith Lord. Nirgal related that it could even be possible that Nihilus could even still exist today.

Now _THAT_ was interesting to Maul. To be able to use an enemy’s dependence on the Force against them…it was positively delightful to him. He’d sought a holocron of Darth Nihilus, but as yet none had been found. There was more to be learned from Viktuss and Nirgal, though, and that was another reason Maul had come back to Dathomir. Here, in a natural wellspring of the Dark Side, communion with the things that lurked in the darkness was far easier.

Set before him on the ground, surrounded by arcane glyphs in the ancient tongue of the Sith, sat the holocron of Darth Viktuss. Maul sat, feet tucked underneath him, facing the holocron, his eyes closed in concentration. The air had taken on a particularly electric feel, with the tiny crackle of infinitesimally small thunder occasionally being heard to echo through the ritual chamber. Maul continued his concentration; nothing could be allowed to interfere.

Suddenly, the holocron erupted into life as a powerful beam of energy blasted forth from the top of the crystal pyramid. After a second, the beam began to coalesce into the familiar form of Darth Viktuss, at least as Maul had come to know him from the echo that remained within the holocron. The infinite black of the ancient Sith Lord’s eyes turned to Maul, and the hologram groaned. “You again?”

Maul opened his eyes, his scowl of displeasure clear. “Yes, me again. If you’d told me what I needed the first time, I wouldn’t have to keep consulting you.”

Darth Viktuss was old, impossibly old, with thin, white hair. The most striking thing about him was his eyes, or more correctly, the absence of them. Instead of normal eyes, two horrific dark pits yawned forth. The legend told that the corruption of the Dark Side manifested itself within Viktuss by claiming his eyes, though he saw clearer than any other being of his time. Dark veins ran through his face and hands, testifying to his full devotion to the Sith, and to the Dark Side. Without eyes, it was impossible to know if Viktuss was rolling his eyes at you, but his tone of voice showed that just as well. “I’ve told you, I don’t know where Nihilus is. You’ve asked a dozen times, and a dozen times I’ve quashed your ambitions. I can do it again if you wish, it really is great fun and all.”

“I DO NOT WISH TO FIND NIHILUS TODAY!” Maul roared at the hologram’s sarcastic attitude. Maul was never a patient person, and Viktuss tried his patience further than any corporeal being dared. “There is a fallen Jedi that has vanished. I need to find her. How can I go about doing this?”

“JEDI?” Viktuss scoffed in disbelief. “Why waste your time with mere JEDI? Are there no proper Sith any more?”

“Only two,” grumbled Maul.

“Two, eh? Glad I didn’t live in Bane’s time. During my heyday, the Sith were a massive empire, controlling more than half the galaxy. There were full armies of us…and now there are only two. Sad. Truly, truly sad.”

“TELL ME HOW TO FIND HER!” snarled Maul, his temper just about gone.

“My my, aren’t we feisty?” Viktuss continued to mock Maul, but Maul was nearly at his limit. The ancient Sith Lord chuckled, but then got very serious almost as quickly. “Very well, there is a way, one studied long ago by Darth Elipssus. Mind you, it’s not perfect, but it should give you what you need. Open yourself to the power of the Dark Side, and allow it to steer your consciousness in the direction of your quarry. You must keep a mental image of your quarry at all times, or you’ll lose contact. Then, once you’ve managed to reach where they are, you simply look around, and see where they are. Fairly simple, in theory, but the concentration needed is mind-bending.” Viktuss leaned closer to Maul. “Do you think you’re even capable of it?”

Maul unsheathed the lightsaber he kept hidden in a walking stick with one lightning-fast motion, and slashed through the holographic image of Viktuss, who proceeded to laugh at Maul’s futile strike. The light vanished from the crystals within the holocron, and the image vanished.

Maul took a moment to compose himself, readying himself for the needed concentration. He felt a twinge of nervousness in the pit of his stomach, but he chose to ignore it. After a moment, he knelt down once more before the holocron, and threw his consciousness into the Force. For a moment, there was a dissociation of his mind from his conscious will, as his perceptions were pulled and stretched in a thousand directions at once. Maul struggled to maintain his sanity, such as it was, but he hadn’t been prepared for such an overload. Then, when he thought he’d finally lost all semblance of self, mind, and solidity, the shifting perceptions ceased, and he could see Zathara, seated in a large starfighter, a Y-wing, and her course was taking her close to a large Star Destroyer group, with two even more massive ships lurking inside the swarming cloud of capital ships. Maul looked around, as Viktuss had said, trying to find some sort of landmark to use, some way of finding where they were, and sure enough, a large, distinct, red nebula bloomed off behind the Star Destroyers. It was enough, and he released his concentration.

After his mind snapped back into solid reality, Maul could swear he heard Viktuss’ mocking laughter, even from within the holocron. Maul considered destroying the accursed thing, but he knew in time he’d need it again. One day, he would find the holocron of Darth Nihilus, and on that day, he would relish the notion of destroying the old fool’s knowledge forever.

“MAUL!” A familiar voice echoed through the chamber, shattering Maul’s moment of imagined triumph. Maul’s upper lip curled into a snarl, as he rose to his feet silently.

“Well now, _Master Jedi_ …what brings you to my humble home?”

Zathara, her head held high with pride, dragged her captive behind her, chains binding Somina’s hands and feet. Somina, only partially conscious, tried her best to stay on her feet, but the chains kept tripping her, and every time she’d go down, Zathara would lay into her with mockery and taunts. As she dragged the captive Togruta through the busy docking bay aboard the _Eclipse_ , many officers, troopers, and others stopped to look at the struggling Sith. Some knew what the presence of Somina meant, and made full sure they stayed as far from the Emperor’s personal quarters as their duty stations would allow. If there was to be punishment meted out, they wanted no part of it.

Zathara was certain that Vader’s punishment would be severe indeed, and she couldn’t help but smile at the thought. It was far from over, and she kept reminding herself of that, but she’d basically won. She’d beaten Ahsoka Tano, she’d avenged herself on the cruel master that sold her out, and she was primed to become the right hand of the Emperor himself. It was all within reach, and it was the pinnacle of her walk on the Dark Side. All the struggles she’d faced after being freed from the Republic prison, all the abuses she’d endured, all the horrible, lonely nights where she feared for her very life, they would all be vindicated. SHE would be vindicated, and at last the galaxy would have little choice but to accept Darth Zathara, apprentice to the Emperor himself.

That was, of course, contingent on surviving Vader’s inevitable wrath. It was a gamble from the beginning, but she’d always known that. Zathara thought back to the first time she’d actually been in a relationship; it was with a gruff Devaronian named Maga. Maga had been a pirate most of his life, and he was quite keen on welcoming someone with Force abilities into his fold. He’d shown her how to fight with fists and blasters, how to know what’s worth stealing and what’s best left behind, and how to survive when the universe wanted you dead.

She’d loved Maga intensely, but his interest in her waned after a few years. By then, Zathara was a valued part of the crew, beloved of Maga’s men, but Maga himself started fancying a Togruta female that he’d seen on Nar Shaddaa. Perhaps it was then that she’d really started to develop her hatred of Ahsoka, perhaps not. Whether or not that was true was uncertain, but what _was_ certain was that she’d enjoyed tearing out the screaming Togruta’s spine. Maga had not been so fond of her actions, and had attempted to have his men kill her. They screamed at the time of their deaths, as well.

Zathara wasn’t sure if Maga was even still alive, but she couldn’t help but wonder how he’d see her now, at the verge of her ultimate triumph. Perhaps he’d come crawling back to her; she’d either take him as a slave, or perhaps just _take_ him, and discard him afterwards. Maybe she’d just kill him. The possibilities that were available to someone who had the Emperor’s ear were endless.

Somina struggled against the chains once again, shaking Zathara out of her reverie. Newly filled with grim purpose, she strode confidently towards the Emperor’s chambers, as Stormtroopers and other guards escorted her through the massive ship. No one spoke, not even Somina, and the only sounds anyone could hear were heavy footsteps and the clanking of chains. The look of smug arrogance on Zathara’s face spoke volumes, though, and it announced someone prepared for accolades.

As she approached the main doors into the Emperor’s chambers, the red-robed Imperial Guards cleared the way through, allowing her access. She _was_ expected, after all. Dragging Somina behind her, Zathara strode into the massive chamber, unsure of what to expect next, but prepared for just about anything.

Upon seeing Zathara return, with Somina in tow, the Emperor rose from his throne, a look of astonishment on his face that slowly turned to abject rage. Vader remained silent and motionless, but Zathara could sense that there was profound fear coming from the man in black. Palpatine observed the chained Togruta for a moment, and then, unexpectedly, he smiled. He began to laugh, the sickening, chilling laugh that very few heard and lived to tell the story.

“Ahsoka Tano, indeed. I remember you, oh yes. How ironic that history should repeat itself, with Barriss Offee offering you to me, as a sacrifice. Life is indeed sweet, is it not?” Palpatine turned towards Vader for just a moment, but turned immediately back to Somina. “I sense something within you I’ve never sensed before, child.” Palpatine moved closer to Somina, clearly fascinated. “You were wasted as a Jedi. You have power. The Dark Side is strong within you. You’ve felt it. Yes…”

The Emperor turned his attention to Zathara. “It seems your allegations were correct after all. My treasonous apprentice has overstepped his bounds. He is not my disciple…” His eyes, flashing with untold fury, glared directly at Vader. “…he is a _RIVAL_!”

Vader flew back several meters with the wave of Palpatine’s hand, smashing with a resounding crack into the nearest durasteel wall. Upon Vader’s impact, wave after wave of horrendous purple lightning surged forth from the wizened Emperor, coruscating all over Vader’s body. Vader did not cry out, but the fact that parts of his armor began to melt under the Dark Side assault testified to the Emperor’s power. Palpatine did not relent for several minutes, until finally the horribly damaged form of Darth Vader cried out in agony, fires smoldering on various parts of his armor. Palpatine released him, and he dropped to the floor like a rock, landing in a heap.

Somehow, after such a barrage, Vader managed to clamber to his feet, still silent aside from the whirring and clicking of the now-exposed mechanical components in his damaged right leg. The rear shielding of his helmet was broken, and several hairline cracks had appeared in the mask, but beyond that, he was surprisingly intact. The Emperor’s eyes narrowed at the display of defiance.

“Your predecessors all displeased me, and they were all dealt with. One, as you may recall, met his…messy…end at your hands, did he not?” The Emperor shuffled back to his throne and sat down slowly. “Perhaps it is time for history to repeat itself. Guards, leave us.” The Imperial Guards stationed at the large window, as well as by the main entrance, all retreated to the forechamber, shutting the massive doors behind them. “You, Zathara. Give the apprentice her lightsabers.”

Zathara was stunned by the Emperor’s command. Why would Ahsoka need her lightsabers? She stared, dumbfounded at Palpatine, who hissed at her reticence. “Do it!”

Still taken aback by the odd command, but unwilling to disobey the Emperor in the very seat of his power, she pulled the two old lightsabers she had taken from Somina off her belt, where she’d hung them next to the two she’d stolen from Asajj Ventress, the two she currently used in combat. She set them on the ground in front of Somina, and then stepped back. The Emperor waved his hand in Somina’s direction, and the chains fell away from her wrists and ankles, releasing her.

“Lord Vader, redeem yourself in my sight. Kill her.”

“I think it’s time we had a real heart-to-heart, Maul.”

Maul stood to his full height, a wicked smile on his face, baring his horrid teeth. “And here I thought we were getting along so well.”

“We were, _Sith_. And then, you disappeared. I suspected you'd come here, and here you are. Some Dark Side ritual, I imagine.” Windu slowly, deliberately, detached his lightsaber from his belt, hidden under the heavy robes he wore. “Since you've shown your true colors, I'm afraid this officially dissolves our partnership.”

“Good.” Maul's smile only grew, and he snatched his lightsaber from inside the walking stick nearby, and it came to life with the familiar sound that only igniting lightsabers made. “Now I won't hold back from killing you.”

Windu laughed, and his lightsaber ignited, the telltale purple blade glowing, adding an odd, darker cast to the already dark chamber. “Me either.”

Windu assumed the first position of Vaapad, preparing for Maul to strike. The Dathomiri Zabrak, elated and enraged at the same time, did exactly as Windu expected; he charged head-on. Windu, seeing this coming, sidestepped the blind charge, and whirled about, swinging his lightsaber to within millimeters of Maul's neck. Maul stopped in his tracks, after feeling the heat from the passing blade, and turned to face his opponent. The elation was gone, replaced with humiliation and rage. Windu had already won the duel, because Maul had let his rage control him, as opposed to being the master of his rage.

However, he was not about to concede that fact to the renegade Jedi just yet. He held his blade before his face, the blood-red glow making his face appear even more demonic than usual. “You will pay for that insult, _Jedi_!” Maul was just as skilled in Juyo as Windu was in Vaapad, and they'd sparred to stalemate a hundred times, but in one microsecond, faster than mortal eyes could watch, Windu had proclaimed his supremacy by not only nearly killing Maul, but making sure Maul _knew_ he could have been killed, had Windu chosen to do so.

“Now, now, Maul, name-calling won't get you anywhere.” Windu, a smirk on his face, gestured for Maul to attack again. Maul came in slower, more deliberately this time, getting in close before he started to unleash his attacks. Windu was caught off-guard momentarily, not knowing what Maul was planning until it was too late. Maul swung his lightsaber at Windu's throat, but Windu dodged to the left. Maul anticipated this move, however, and drove an elbow into Windu's ribs as he followed through on the swing. Windu fell backwards, but managed to tuck into a roll, using the Force to propel himself back onto his feet. Maul, clearly pleased with himself, swung his lightsaber arrogantly in an elaborate pattern.

Windu was significantly less pleased. Maul wasn't pulling his punches, and his ribs were alight with pain. Windu wasn't so old that he couldn't shrug off a minor injury, but neither of them were at their peak any longer. His smirk had faded, and he steeled himself for what was to come. One of them wasn't walking away from this fight, and Mace Windu was not about to be defeated by a scheming Sith again.

Vader remained silent, but took hold of his lightsaber, igniting it. Somina pulled her lightsabers to her with the Force, and ignited both simultaneously. Vader was moving towards her now, faster than she expected he could move. He was radiating the power of the Dark Side, and she was intimidated by the sensation. She'd never thought Anakin could have such affinity for what he'd pledged himself to destroy, but her time for reminiscence was short, as Vader's crimson blade passed within a half a meter of her. It had been a warning shot, intended to get her mind in the fight. Even now, even at the time of her execution, he was the strict instructor.

Somina managed to get out of the way of Vader's slashes, though he was moving faster than she was capable of moving. Suddenly, from above her, a monstrous swing came vertically down towards her head, seeking to bisect her sagitally. She thrust her blades up above her head, trying to catch the blade in a trap between her blades, but Vader anticipated this move, shifting his weight and altering the course of the attack, now coming directly at her face. She leapt out of the way, but he caught her in a vice-like Force grip as she jumped, and threw her into a nearby support column. She smashed into the column with a sickening crack, and slumped down onto the floor.

“You were never as good as you should have been, Ahsoka.” Vader's hand extended, pulling the apprentice's limp body off of the floor with his mastery of the Force. He pulled her towards his waiting blade, preparing to deal the death blow. “Now, you will plague me no longer.”

Vader didn't notice until Somina was too close to dodge that she still had her lightsabers in her hands, and once she was within striking distance, she ignited her blades, swinging blindly at anything she could reach. One of her blades made contact with Vader's blade, but the other managed to strike the front of Vader's mask, slicing off a large piece of his air intake filtration unit. Vader, suddenly struggling to breathe, released his grip on Somina, and she landed nimbly on her feet. Rebounding off of her landing on the floor, she lunged in towards Vader's legs, targeting him just above the knees. Vader, struggling with correcting the breathing regulator, swung clumsily at her, missing completely, and Somina landed a solid blow on Vader's mechanical leg, slicing through armor and mechanical components, damaging the leg enough to slow him down even more.

Zathara, watching the whole scene with morbid fascination, silently hoped for mutual destruction. Neither of the combatants had ever done her any favors, and she hoped neither would survive. She looked over at the Emperor, watching with an evil grin, cackling with pleasure when blows landed. She'd hoped to be the one to serve the Emperor, but for that to happen, something would have to make certain neither Vader nor Somina survived. Somehow, she had to make certain that only Zathara...Darth Zathara...was left standing.

Somina was utilizing her now-superior speed, lunging in close enough to strike, while managing to get out of the way long enough to ensure Vader could not hit her, and this tactic seemed to be taking a definite toll on Vader's body. She only hoped she could push him so far over the edge that he'd lose his patience and attack blindly. She knew his temper, and she knew how to set it off. All she had to do was survive the attacks of one of the most powerful entities the galaxy had ever seen long enough to completely incapacitate him.

Mace Windu could feel the power of the Force within him, and he felt his body become stronger than it had been in years. Windu was unique among the Jedi, as he tended to see the Force as a self-inclusive whole, rather than two distinct halves. He knew the power of the Dark Side, and learned to use it without becoming its slave. Some say the unique purple hue of his blade came from his standing in the exact middle of the Dark and the Light. Maul, however, was all rage, pain, and the raw power of the Dark Side. Windu had fought, and nearly defeated, the Sith Lord Darth Sidious in his younger years, and had no doubt that if he maintained his focus, he could best Maul. He did, however, bear in mind that a wounded beast attacks all the more ferociously.

Maul pressed his attack, swinging his blade with unbelievable speed. Windu managed to dodge and parry the majority of the blows, but one or two managed to slash through the thick robes he wore. He was not as bulky as he had been in his youth, and he thanked the Force for that. Still, for every slash Windu evaded, ten more came in, harder and faster than before. Maul was attempting to tire him out, clearly, but he'd find that a futile gesture. He didn't know what Windu knew; Windu could tap into the very same power Maul did, and use it with a clear mind and head.

Windu leapt backwards, flipping around while his blade slashed upwards, nearly catching Maul's jaw full-on. Maul stumbled backwards, and Windu leapt back at him from his landing position, catching Maul in the calf. Maul howled with pain as he fell backwards, and Windu was on him instantly. Maul, propped up on one elbow, still managed to shield himself from Windu's assault long enough to try and regain his footing, but with only one foot, that was a challenging endeavor at best. Windu, sensing the end coming, struck against Maul's blade with all his power, knocking it away. The blade disengaged, clattering away harmlessly on the stone floor. Windu pressed the very edge of his blade to Maul's throat, close enough for a small wisp of smoke to rise from burnt skin. Maul's eyes, intense with fear, expected the end.

“The last time I had one of your kind in this position, he had his lackey attack me. Don't think I'll make that same mistake again.” Windu's eyes were intense, and aflame with anger and hatred. “I could have prevented all of this, all of the horrors Palpatine has carried out, if only I'd just stepped one...meter...closer.”

“Then do it! Give in to the urge, _Jedi_! Do it!” Maul taunted him ruthlessly.

Windu, his eyes like razors, locked gazes with Maul for just a moment, and then he laughed, shutting the lightsaber off. “No, I don't think I will. I'm going to do you a favor, Maul.” Windu replaced the lightsaber underneath the large robe. “I'm going to give you a reason to have hate and rage for years. I'm going to leave you here to your own devices.” Windu turned, laughing, and started to walk away. After a few paces, he turned back to Maul, the smile evident on his face, even with the thick beard. “Don't come looking for me, because you'll find me.” He turned away once more, disappearing down the stone corridor, and soon, only his mocking laughter remained of him. Maul howled with rage and agony, but it was an impotent howl, the cry of a warrior who could not defeat his nemesis.

Though Darth Vader was slowed, he was by no means helpless. His concentration was thrown off only briefly, while he adjusted the breathing regulator. He'd managed to fend off most of Somina's attacks while doing so, his reflexes not only Force-augmented but also enhanced with cybernetics. Once he could breathe properly, he turned his full wrath on Somina, ignoring the pain that his damaged armor was causing him. Random objects flew towards Somina, which she deflected some, though many hit her with enough force to knock the breath from her.

In her mind, she sought answers. How did things get to be so twisted? Was it a mistake to embrace the Dark Side? Was it a mistake to turn to the teachings of the Sith? She'd never been so powerful, though she was clearly not on the same level as Vader. Even damaged, he was a juggernaut, his attacks once again coming in powerfully, in addition to large, heavy objects slamming into her body when she wasn't paying attention. Even in his prime, Anakin had never been so formidable, but she too was far more powerful, and she _was_ in her prime.

But could she best her master? Somina prayed silently that she could.

Every second that passed, Vader got a better analysis of the situation. He could use the environment to his advantage, literally and figuratively, and she'd have no recourse. Her only hope was to dig deep, find the core of anger, shame, hatred, and lust for vengeance, and channel those emotions through the power of the Dark Side. That was the only way she'd survive. There were no people that really inspired such hate, though; Anakin and Barriss only inspired sympathy, for the monsters they'd become, and Palpatine wouldn't make her feel any more hatred towards him than he already did. There was one thing, though, that filled her with such shame, such anger, and such fear that she could feel it boiling in the pit of her stomach just from the casual thought of it.

Enuma walking away. If she was defeated by Vader, she would never see Enuma again.

That was unacceptable.

Her body seemed to fill with heat, from the soles of her feet to the very tips of her montrals. The heat was painful, but instead of incapacitating her, it just made her angrier. This man, this wretched construct of twisted science, was going to prevent her from seeing her love again, and she could not, would not, abide it.

Somina moved, though she didn't feel as if it were entirely of her own volition. She approached the Dark Lord without a semblance of caution, the Dark Side filling her with it's unholy majesty. The heat within her body was rising, giving her further power with every second. She raised her blades, and swung viciously at Vader's limbs, looking to incapacitate him. He deflected each blow masterfully, and he was hard to defend against, as the form of lightsaber combat he used was unfamiliar to her, but she held her own. She could feel, in the microseconds before her muscles could contract, where the Force wanted her to swing, and she gave herself over to its influence. She thrust her hand out in front of her, using the Force to push Vader back several meters. He flew backwards, landing unceremoniously on his back, but rolled out of the way as Somina's blades slashed in an “X” pattern where his sword arm had been.

He struggled under her barrage, now slamming into his blade with more force than he'd given her credit for, but was able to finally get to his feet. She was a whirlwind of blades and destruction, but he'd defeated more skilled duelists than her. He taught her all she knew, but by no means all _HE_ knew.

Somina spiralled to a spot a few meters from where Vader stood, hatred flaring in her eyes. From deep within her, a cry of rage and hate welled up, forcing her mouth open. The roar blasted forth from her, hitting objects in its path like a physical force, slamming into Vader's body and knocking him off balance. He seemed confused for one half of a second, but that was all Somina needed. She slashed her blades in another “X” pattern, and neatly sliced Vader's sword arm off above the elbow. He bellowed with unholy rage, but still managed enough presence of mind to call the dropped lightsaber to his left hand. He was in no way ambidextrous, but he believed the Force would be enough to win him the day.

Somina spun, a deadly pirouette, and lashed out with vicious strikes at various joints, though Vader managed to deflect the majority of them. He thrust his left hand out, and Somina flew back into the wall, hitting with another crunch. This time, instead of bringing her limp form to him, he threw his lightsaber at her, which flew straight and true at Somina's throat.

And then, stopped in mid-air, as Somina's outstretched hand pushed back with the Force. Her eyes, glowing with hatred, bored holes through Vader. Vader reached out to retrieve his blade, but suddenly, he found himself unable to move. The internal displays inside his helmet indicated a massive power loss, and his cybernetics were not functioning properly, nor was he able to breathe. It was if someone had shut him off.

Somina saw this, and took advantage of the opportunity. She leapt at Vader with every bit of strength she could muster, and slashed upwards and in as she landed in front of him. The blows struck true, and Vader made no attempt at defense. His left hand was sliced cleanly off, and the majority of the mask was smashed through, revealing horribly scarred flesh underneath. With her right hand, she slashed off the right leg through the damaged armor, and Vader fell without a sound.

The room was utterly silent, the kind of silence only present in death and space. Then, the malicious cackling of the Emperor broke the silence. “Good! Well done, child! You have defeated your master, and proven your worth to me. You have also punished my traitorous apprentice for his treachery, and I am quite pleased indeed! Now, come before me.”

Somina, stunned that Vader had fallen, did as she was bid, even as the heat drained out of her body, and a strange weariness seemed to come over her. Upon reaching the Emperor's throne, she fell to one knee before him.

“Pledge yourself to me. Swear your allegiance to me, and I will allow you to take Vader's place at my side. I will show you the true nature of the Force, and you will know what it is to have limitless power!” Palpatine's smile, while hideous, seemed full of promise for the future.

No longer would Somina have to run and hide from the Empire; now, she _WAS_ the Empire. _SHE_ was the Dark Lady of the Sith, the apprentice to the most powerful being in the galaxy. “I pledge myself to your service, my master. I swear my loyalty to you from now until the end of time.”

Palpatine's smile was that of a most pleased individual. “Then, from this day forth, you shall be known to _ALL_ the galaxy as...Darth Somina!”

 


	13. Chapter 13

The small cargo ship hurtled through hyperspace, and though it was nowhere near as comfortable as the Two-Hearts, the ship would do for what Enuma needed. They hadn’t been able to secure their own hyperspace-capable ship, no matter what “contacts” Liak claimed to have, so they managed to get their hands on a short-rangle shuttle, and paid an out-of-luck cargo captain fairly well to take them to the Dagobah system, and wait in orbit until they returned, at which time he would transport them back to Mon Cala.  So far, things had gone mostly to plan, with the revelation that they’d actually located the only fully-functional cargo ship in the Outer Rim.  No systems were acting bizarrely, no technical foul-ups and half-tinkered engine malfunctions caused them any undue stress.

Enuma, on the other hand, was an emotional scrap heap. She hadn’t stopped crying since boarding the tramp freighter, leaving Liak to handle the negotiations.  Normally, letting a Wookiee handle negotiations was a wise tactic, but Liakykam was another story entirely.  She’d already fouled up negotiations with three captains before this one, and Enuma wasn’t about to let a fourth get away.  She managed to hammer out an agreement with the captain, and with whatever credits she’d been able to scrounge up after selling the bracelets she had worn, they struck a deal.  Now, she was flying off into the unknown, to a system she knew nothing about, only on the hunch of a Wookiee that had a nightmare.  Enuma’s life was weird, no question.

Every time she would close her eyes, she would see Somina’s face. She would hear Somina’s voice, only to find out it was the whine of machinery.  Enuma’s heartbreak was profound, for she had never loved anyone the way she loved Somina.  She still loved Somina, and would likely return to her, assuming the Sith apprentice would have her.  For now, though, this felt like the place she needed to be, and Liak didn’t trust anyone else.

Enuma had been sitting in front of the aft viewport, watching the hyperspace corridor pulse and flash as they zoomed through it. She knew that they would drop out of hyperspace soon, though she wasn’t sure _how_ she knew.  It was more than a gut feeling, but Enuma had come to expect such things once she had opened herself to the Force.  She wasn’t as strong as Somina, and likely never would be, but she had abilities she found useful, even if Somina _didn’t_ find them so useful.

A heavy thud rang out behind Enuma, followed by the snarl of a frustrated and nervous Wookiee. Liak had come to see how she was doing, but Enuma just stared out of the viewport.  Liak, worried about Enuma, tried engaging her in conversation, but Enuma remained still, though tears ran down her face.  Liak murmured softly to Enuma, trying to be as sympathetic as she could be.

“I feel like I have left a part of my own spirit behind, Liak. Somina was everything to me, but she lied.”

Liak murmured again, slightly louder, sounding slightly confused.

“No, Liak. She knew about him, and she didn’t tell me.  She lied.”

Liak’s murmur began to sound more like an irritated roar.

“No, I do not think they were ever together. She was very young when she studied with him.”

Liak roared again, the volume tapering off to a displeased rumbling.

“I…I did not think about it that way. I suppose it makes sense, Liak.  She did not feel she was hiding anything because she felt there was nothing to hide.”

Liak nodded her agreement, and rumbled gently.

“Oh, Liak, I have made such a mistake. Somina will never forgive me.”

Liak rumbled again, almost chiding the distraught Twi’lek.

“Well, of course I intend to ask her to forgive me, but I do not know if she will.”

Liak made a strange sound that almost seemed like a laugh, and then murmured playfully.

“Of course I love her! I would not be so sad if I did not!”

Liak made the laughing sound again, and placed her massive paw on Enuma’s head.

“You are a good friend, Liak. Thank you.”

Liak roared with pride, and murmured again.

“I figured that we would be dropping out of hyperspace soon. I will start preparing our shuttle.”

Liak returned to the fore part of the cargo ship, while Enuma rose from her seat in front of the viewport and went to the nearby panel that was linked with the shuttle they’d managed to procure, a battered old Republic ship they’d christened the _Adventure_.  The ship had been designed to carry people from the ground to orbiting ships, such as the Jedi cruisers used heavily in the Clone Wars.  Now, the ships were obsolete, with many Imperial shuttles having hyperdrives of their own, so what few of them that remained could be bought for a relatively insignificant price.  The _Adventure_ had set Liak back more than she’d have liked, but the previous owner wasn’t put off much by arguing with a Wookiee.  A Toydarian, he refused to be intimidated, even by a much-larger Wookiee.  However, an angry and emotional Twi’lek with Sith training was another story completely.  Toydarians may have been immune to mind tricks, but Sith rarely resorted to such tactics when a good Force choke would suffice.

Enuma began running diagnostics on the Adventure’s systems, and although they all seemed to test out properly, she just had a feeling that something was wrong. Everything checked out, but Enuma’s gut feeling wouldn’t go away.  She would have to inspect the hull physically once they were in an atmosphere.  Dagobah was a humid place, with huge banks of fog, and methane bubbling up from decaying swamp life, but by and large, the atmosphere was breathable.  Beyond the little information she could find from Imperial planetary surveys that had been assessed on the swampy world, there was nothing on the system to know.  They would have to be prepared for anything.

Enuma could feel the ship drop out of hyperspace, and she walked up to the foreward command module to see the world they’d travelled to. Sure enough, a great green jewel shined in the light of its sun, rich with life, but there was something else Enuma could sense, something cold.

Something dark, and it waited for her. It _knew_ her, and it waited.

Liak and Enuma boarded the _Adventure_ as the captain maneuvered his ship into orbit around Dagobah.  The canopy of the massive forests and swamps obscured the majority of the surface of the planet, only occasional patches of what could possibly be water showing as the world rotated slowly.  Enuma engaged the power systems of the shuttle, preparing the engines for drop-firing.  Upon her signal, the freighter released its docking claw, allowing the _Adventure_ to drift.  Enuma powered up the engines, and they started their descent onto the planet.  Enuma programmed a course into the navicomputer, going off of instinct as to where to land.  The cold, dark presence she’d felt grew stronger with every minute they descended, but she kept her composure.  Liak was noticeably disturbed, seeming more nervous with each meter they descended into the murky swamp world.

The darkness seemed to grow in intensity as they descended into a thick layer of clouds that obscured a large part of the landmass they detected. There seemed to be some odd energy signals coming from a part of the landmass, but they were incomprehensible to the ship’s sensors.  They were flying almost completely blind, descending into a swamp containing who knows what, all on a nightmare a Wookiee had.  Enuma’s life was weird.

The oddest thing about the descent into Dagobah’s atmosphere was how quiet it seemed. For a world supposedly teeming with life, they saw very little signs of it as they descended.  Perhaps there were no avian life forms, or perhaps what life there was there was frightened off by the ship’s engines.  They couldn’t be sure, as the cloud layer was massive, and impossibly thick.  The ship’s sensors were still indicating that everything was optimal, so the slow descent continued.

Liak murmured quietly, and Enuma nodded. “Yes, Liak.  I, too, have a bad feeling about this.”

Suddenly, one of the engine indicators began to blink rapidly. Enuma quickly turned to the panel beneath the indicator light, and her face went slack with fear.  “We are losing fuel pressure to the main engines!”

Liak roared with fright, unsure of what to do. She tried scrambling out of the small passenger area, but she only succeeded in smashing her head into the ceiling of the compartment multiple times.  Enuma, too, was trying desperately to regain control of the ship, but the controls had become sluggish and hard to steer.  Liak was near panic, but Enuma tried to calm her, even though she was near panic herself.

“We are not too far up, Liak! We can still land safely!  Please, sit down!”

Liak clambered back into her seat, and fastened the restraints once more. Enuma wrestled with the controls, managing to pull the ship’s nose back up, just before the whole vessel splashed down into the swampy water, slowed only by the maneuvering thrusters firing at full power.  The ship finally settled into stillness after a moment, and bobbed back above the surface of the water with a gut-wrenching lurch.  There was a wrenching sound of twisting metal, and then silence; nothing could be heard but the water lapping against the hull of the ship.

Enuma finally broke the silence once she managed to open her eyes, fastened shut temporarily out of terror. “Liak?  Are you alive?”

After a moment, the Wookiee let out a strained murmur. She seemed exceedingly displeased, but intact.

Enuma unfastened the restraint harness that held her in the pilot’s seat, and climbed out. The ship didn’t seem to be too horribly damaged, at least on the inside, though Liak’s seat had apparently come loose in the impact, tumbling towards the aft section, Wookiee and all.  Enuma disengaged Liak’s harness as well, and the irritated Wookiee fumbled her way back to her feet, nearly bashing her head on the top of the compartment once again.

Enuma looked around for a moment, and took a deep breath. “I do not think this ship will float forever, Liak.  We need to get out before it sinks.”  The Wookiee grumbled quietly, but with a clear meaning; she wanted nothing to do with water.  Enuma rolled her eyes, getting irritated herself.  “I do not care what wet Wookiee smells like, Liak, because I am certain _DEAD_ Wookiee smells worse.”

Liak paused for a moment, and then nodded her assent. Enuma then made her way to the escape hatch near the top of the passenger compartment, and pulled the large lever that blew the explosive bolts that held the hatch closed.  A muffled blast was heard for a fraction of a second, and the ship shook a bit, but the hatch popped open without further issue.

Almost immediately, the choking humidity of Dagobah began to seep into the compartment. Along with the humidity came a horrifying stench, the smell of decay and stagnant water.  It was every bit as horrible as Enuma could have imagined, multiplied by a factor of ten.  The air was rank with death, in both the passive and active forms, and all around her, Enuma could feel the cold, black touch of the Dark Side of the Force.

What could possibly have called Liak to this place, and why? These were the primary questions Enuma wanted answers to, but how could she possibly find them in a murky swamp?  What secrets did this place hold, and how long until those secrets came looking for her?  She already felt like there was a force here that _knew_ her, so Enuma’s paranoia was at an all-time high.  She warily peeked out through the open hatch, and surveyed the landscape.

There was little here that was of much surprise. All around them, massive, bent trees dripped with strange, dark green mosses.  The water that surrounded their ship was dark, opaque, and smelled awful.  Occasionally, bubbles would come up out of the unseen depths, and large shapes seemed to pass by, leaving only their wake to testify to their passing.  None of these things made Liak, or Enuma for that matter, feel any safer about this planet.  Liak roared in annoyance and terror, and Enuma stroked the back of the Wookiee’s head to calm her.

“I do not like this, either, Liak, but you were the one that wished to come here.”

Liak roared again, less annoyed and far more afraid.

“That may be, my friend, but if we do not get off this ship, we will sink with it. I fear this swamp is much deeper than it looks.”

Almost as if on cue, the ship began to rock slightly, and the terrified Wookiee performed a perfect swan dive into the murky water, landing with a loud splash. Enuma, not quite as panicked, slid cautiously into the murk, testing each step before she made it.  Her senses were already at work, and nothing that endangered them was nearby.  Further away, however, was a different matter.

The Y-wing fighter blasted out of the hangar bay of the Executor. After programming the autopilot to navigate the ship back to Nar Shaddaa, Zathara sat in the pilot’s seat, far too stunned to speak, much less act.  It had been within her grasp.  Everything she’d ever dreamed of was nearly hers; power, status, respect, and fear were nearly hers, in nearly infinite supply.  Nearly hers, but stolen from her.  Stolen from her by Ahsoka Tano.  Once again, Ahsoka stole what was rightfully hers.  Certainly, the Emperor had paid her quite well for her service in bringing down the traitorous Darth Vader, but she hadn’t wanted the money as much as she’d wanted to be the right hand of the supreme monarch of the galaxy.  She should have been the new apprentice, and not Ahsoka, but it was stolen away once again by the one she despised more than anyone else in the galaxy.

And she would have her vengeance, but not today. Today, she just walked away from it all.

It made no sense to Zathara. How could Ahsoka Tano, who was never as apt a student of the ways of the Force as she was, who was rebellious, undisciplined, and foolish, and who didn’t possess the raw power that she did, defeat Darth Vader, who was lauded to be one of the most powerful beings that had ever lived?  It didn’t add up.  She’d seen Ahsoka fight, and she’d never had the aptitude that her mentors had.  Anakin Skywalker had been a fighter; she’d lost to him on that fateful day, years ago.  Vader had been the terror of all fugitive Jedi, partly because of the prowess of the 501st, but mostly because of his own skill and power.  Zathara had felt Vader’s power firsthand, and there was no way that Ahsoka Tano, even with training in the Sith arts, could have beaten Vader.  No way at all.

And yet, it happened. Zathara had to know why, or she would never know a moment’s peace.

The Y-wing jumped into hyperspace, leaving the Empire behind.

Liakykam, soaked to the bone with foul swamp water, flopped onto the marshy shore, near a gnarled tree. She roared in disgust as she clambered to her feet, unsteadily due to the soft mud all around.  Enuma, too, climbed out of the murk and slime, looked considerably worse for wear.  She took one look at the drenched Wookiee, looking miserable and with all her fur stuck down, and couldn’t help but laugh.  Liak didn’t take too well to Enuma’s reaction at first, grumbling to herself, but as she started to turn and look around, a misstep slid her foot out from under her, causing her to slip and fall right back into the foul water.

Enuma, trying very hard now not to laugh at the poor Wookiee’s misfortune, helped the wet Wookiee climb out of the murk and onto a much more solid surface. They took a moment to sit down, and catch their breath, but as they did, the last bit of the Adventure above water sank into the unknowable depths of Dagobah.

“Thus ends our adventure, I suppose,” Enuma joked, shrugging.

Liak didn’t take the sunken ship very well at all, roaring hysterically, while Enuma tried in vain to calm her.

“Please, Liak, losing control is not going to help us. We need to see if we can salvage a communicator, or find some way to contact the captain from here.  You are an esteemed scientist, what do you think we should do?”

Liak, still somewhat frenzied, took a moment to calm down, and then thought silently for a bit. Then, a few rumbles and murmurs escaped her, though they were suspiciously quiet.

Enuma scowled. “I just said we needed to do that, Liak!  HOW are we going to do that?”

“Perhaps, help you I can.”

            The Y-wing fighter, it’s Republic markings long erased, didn’t raise much suspicion as it slid into the docking bay on the side of the massive floating construct.  Here, on Nar Shaddaa, the monstrous Hutt casinos extended into the sky, both from the ground as well as above it, and one more unmarked ship was unnoticed, even by the paranoid guards that patrolled the casinos in the name of their Hutt masters.  This casino, The Bounty of Seven, was owned by someone that Zathara knew quite well; Gurrizi Talddmurdop, son of the late Garratha.

            Zathara walked through the gateway that led to the main atrium of the immense pleasure compound, and the guards stationed there nodded to her as she passed.  She was no stranger to Gurrizi’s men; in fact, a few of them were intimately familiar with Zathara, from her time as an enforcer for Gurrizi.  Before she’d met Maga, Gurrizi had given her a job as someone he’d send to clients late on payments, or those suspected of defrauding the Hutt.  She would throw them around a bit, put the fear of all things unholy in them, and inevitably, they’d pay up before she’d have to make a second visit.  At first, she’d just been “one of the guys”, but inevitably, Zathara’s carnal appetites would emerge, and she would take a lover or two.  She had no regrets about anyone she’d been with, for they each had taught her something about surviving in the dirty galaxy that existed outside of the Jedi Order.  With Gurrizi and his men, she’d gone from the highest levels of Coruscant down to the most barren wastelands of Geonosis, and she’d seen much, and learned much.  It was the talents she’d learned from some of Gurrizi’s men that made her valuable to Maga in the first place, and so she fervently hoped they would pay off for her now.

            “Well, well, Zathara Baris.  Been a long time, my lovely.”  The electronically distorted voice of Plas Marill greeted her as she made her way into the office wing of the casino.  Plas was one of Gurrizi’s most trusted enforcers, given the honor of protecting Gurrizi himself.  Through many years of violent conflict, Plas had been nearly killed over a dozen times, the cybernetic components of his body testifying to his resilience as well as his devotion to his employer.  He’d taken hits from just about every kind of weapon known, from blasters to boulders, and would gladly do so again for his boss.  That sort of loyalty was hard to come by in the criminal underworld, and Gurrizi rewarded it well.

            “Hello, Plas.”  Zathara leaned close to the cyborg, running a finger down part of his exo-armor.  “You still have any meat under all this?”

            “Just one bit, Zee.  The one part I won’t part with, feel me?”  Plas laughed, and it sounded bizarre, almost like a computer trying to figure out what a laugh should sound like from a written description.

            “You’re still an asshole, Plas.”  Zathara smiled, her most charming, seductive smile, as she rested a hand on Plas’ broad chest.  “The boss in?”

            “Where’s he gonna go?  After what happened to the old man, he’s more than happy stayin’ locked up here.  Fidget keeps him happy, fed, and makes sure he has ‘company’, and he don’t complain about a thing.”

            “Makes it easy for everybody, then.  Will he see me?”

            “That’s like askin’ if I wanna spend a couple hours with Fidget, Zee.  A dumb question.  Go on in, he’s expecting you.”

            “Thanks, stud.”  Zathara walked past the massive cyborg, through the large security gates that sequestered the offices of Gurrizi from the outside world.  There were five chambers in all, and massive durasteel gates could drop, sealing each chamber off, which would then flood with vaporized carbonite, or whatever nasty way to die Gurrizi felt like having in wait.  It was a very well-thought-out system, and perfect for keeping out normal enemies.  It wasn’t quite so effective against someone like her, however, but today she came in peace.

The office where Gurrizi currently holed up was modest by Hutt standards. Gurrizi was well-known for being much more practical than his ostentatious father had been.  Though there were amenities galore, the whole area was no larger than a small hangar bay.  The Hutt himself was content with a large desk made of black stone, behind which he reclined.  Females of various species in various states of undress lounged around the desk, relaxed and seemingly happy.  For a Hutt, Gurrizi was surprisingly frugal and moral, treating his “employees” quite well.

Gurrizi himself was nothing special for the Hutts; he was large, blubbery, and green, with some yellow mixed in to keep it interesting. He was considerably younger than elder Hutts, but large for his age.  As Zathara walked into the office, and approached Gurrizi’s desk, the Hutt smiled hungrily.  “Zathara Baris!  I thought Plas was lying when he said you docked at my resort, but here you are!  Come, come, have a seat, pour yourself a drink, and be comfortable.  I’m sure you’ve had a rough day!”

“Gurrizi, you have no idea how right you are.” Zathara walked over to a large table where dozens of multicolored bottles contained spirits from dozens of systems.  Zathara chose a smaller, orange bottle, and poured herself a healthy glassful.  She sipped cautiously at first, making certain it wasn’t too vile; Hutts had a fondness for things other life forms found disgusting.  It was smoky, and potent, but not unpalatable.  She took a healthy swig, and made her way to a large, soft chair that faced the Hutt, and sat down.  “Though I have recently come into a lot of money, I find there are some things I need that money can’t buy, at least directly.”

“How…indirectly…are you needing to procure this thing you need?” Gurrizi had a very sleazy tone to his voice, but it was just part of his personality, and Zathara had gotten used to it long before.

“Not indirectly enough to want to feel your slimy hands on me, Gurrizi. I need to get in touch with Maga.”

The Hutt reared back as if stabbed, but then proceeded to laugh in the condescending way the Hutts tended to laugh. “ _Maga?_ Oh, Zathara, my love, you are great fun!  Maga wants nothing to do with you, not after the stunt you pulled.”

“Stunt? I did nothing that was out of the ordinary.”

“Zathara, you tore out poor Aryna's spine while she was alive and conscious, and made Maga watch!”

“So? He upset me.”

Gurrizi laughed once more. “This is why I have always enjoyed such a friendly relationship with you, Zathara.  I'd hate to irritate you.  I'm not sure even old Plas could help me if that happened.”

Zathara took another sip of her drink, and smiled. “He couldn't,” she said, with a wink.

“No, no, I imagine he couldn't. Sooooo, in the interest of amity, I'll see what I can do.  What....erm....are you needing Maga for?”

Zathara's eyes twinkled with a cruel malice deep within them. “Maga....knows people I need to get to know.”

Enuma and Liak both turned sharply at the sound of the unexpected voice. Enuma leapt to her feet, drawing the blaster on her hip as quickly as she could.  She silently cursed herself for leaving the training lightsaber Somina had given her back on Ilum, but that couldn't help her much now.  Once she had a moment to assess the situation, Enuma saw that her blaster was pointed at a small, green creature, dressed in filthy rags, and leaning heavily on a gnarled walking stick.  The creature, which looked impossibly old, had wispy white hair in small patches, and eyes that barely concealed a secret they weren't prepared to reveal.  The creature smiled, but there was  a certain fear behind the smile, though that too was as concealed as it could be.  Enuma could not sense much about the creature, almost as if she were being intentionally blocked.

“Mean you no harm, I do. No need for weapons.”  The creature didn't move, but Enuma was certain it was more dangerous than it looked.  There was something familiar about the little green creature that Enuma could not place, but it worried her.  Added to that fear were the oppressive, cold sensations she was constantly feeling, and had felt since they first descended towards the swampy world, and now, one of its denizens had made its presence known.  It was not going well.  “Here, belong you do not.  I must know; why are you here?”

“We....ummm....my friend had a dream about this place. Someone called her to this place, and we came.”  Enuma wasn't going to trust the little green monster until she knew more.

“Dream of Dagobah, your friend did? Interesting.  Called to you, it did?  Not many are called to this place.”  The creature laughed, a silly laugh that matched its silly appearance, but then proceeded to go into a coughing fit that looked almost painful.  “No need for concern.  Old I am, a small sickness I have gotten.  Why called here were you?”

Liak, who was fully irritated, wet, and terrified, let loose with a torrent of growls, roars, and rumblings. The creature nodded as Liak expounded.

The creature's eyes widened with surprise as Liak concluded. “Ahhhhh!  Liakykam you are, yes?  Yoda.  Yoda called you here!”

Enuma stepped protectively in front of Liak. “Wait.  Yoda, as in the Jedi Master?  You.  You are Yoda.  I remember seeing a story over the holonet that you had been killed on Kashyyyk.  How are you still alive?”

“Long story, it is. Waited for you, I have, you and your friend.”  Yoda, whose eyes now lit up with hope, smiled benevolently at Enuma.

Enuma's hands found their way to her hips. She glared at Yoda in disbelief.  “You do not even know me, Jedi.”

Yoda smiled, leaning forward slightly. “Ah, but know you I do....Enuma Syndulla.”

 

 

_THE CHRONICLES OF DARTH SOMINA WILL CONTINUE WITH “THE THRILL OF THE HUNT”_

_BEGINNING IN TWO WEEKS!_


End file.
